Slayers Ultimate Book 1
by Lucia Wilber
Summary: A lone swordswoman and treasure hunter makes rather strange acquaintances with an unusual laughing sorceress and embarks on an adventure not only of action and danger, but also of romance. OC/Naga Romantic Yuri. COMPLETE!
1. The Hunt Begins

**Author's Notes**

This is my first serious Slayers fan fic. The rest I've written were all more 'adult' oriented or were simple one-shot stories. I've heard mixed reviews about introducing original characters into existing canon, but hopefully this one will be well-received. This first chapter introduces the main character, Lucia the swordswoman. There are no Slayers characters in the first chapter, but it is useful in introducing this character and the tone of the story. Also, this story involves a romantic relationship between two women. If this sort of thing bothers you, you should stop reading here.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Hunt Begins**

The sun was still low in the sky as the young blonde-haired girl walked along the packed dirt road, the cool spring breeze a crisp reminder that winter had only recently passed. The scent of blooming flowers was still faint, signaling that the revitalizing energy of the season had yet to come to full bear, though the sounds of birds in the nearby trees was still plentiful and soothing to the young adventuress. The young woman's garb stood in stark contrast to both her physical features and her personality. While she wore a mixture of leather and light chainmail armor across her form, accented by several pouches along her belt and a sheathed sword with a silver and onyx hilt, her shoulder-length straw-blonde hair framed an innocent looking, almost child-like face set with shining sky-blye eyes. There was almost a bounce in her step as she walked, for Lucia Moore, swordswoman and treasure hunter extraordinaire, was never happier than when she was on her way to a new adventure; especially when said adventure offered a reward of thirty gold pieces for the simple task of crushing a small band of brigands.

She had received the news while staying at a small roadside inn. A crier had entered the inn passing out signed parchments. Upon them was a declaration that any heroes willing to take on a bandit gang that had been tormenting the small town of Duskhollow would receive a sum of thirty gold pieces upon the successful capture or death of their leader, or the destruction of their band. With such a simple task before her, she had immediately stuck out for Duskhollow in hopes of lining her purse with some relatively easy money.

"I wonder how far it is." She said softly to herself, looking at a map she had hastily drawn in response to some prodding of the locals. The scale was off, she knew, but she'd only had estimations on which to draw the map. Where a farmer had told her it was ten miles, a merchant told her it was only six. Where a bishop explained that she'd come to a fork, she would instead find herself at a four-way crossroads. The only solid piece of information she had was that Duskhollow was almost directly south of her location, and at least for that she had a compass to keep her on track. A presence in front of her suddenly caused her to glance up from her map. Ahead of her on the road, she saw a lone man sitting cross-legged in the dirt, idly tapping a single finger on the ground. Curiously, she moved a bit closer.

The man was thin, but as she got closer she could see the definition in his muscles that depicted hours of physical training. He was dressed in a simple sleeveless shirt and pants that were tied with a crude rope-like belt, all in earthen tones, and worn boots that were dusty from recent travel on the dry road. His dark brown hair was unkempt and sat atop his head like some kind of mangy animal, telling a lot about the man's sense of personal hygiene. As she approached, Lucia slowed her steps until she stopped about fifteen feet away from the man, looking at him curiously.

"Hello there, are you alright?" she said calmly, wondering if perhaps the man was homeless or injured in some way. As he looked up at her, his grey eyes seemed to appraise her for a moment, and she could tell by his expression that he had been aware of her approach before she'd seen his face. The way he looked at her put her on edge, and a few seconds later she caught a brief flutter of movement off to her right side in the bushes. Her instincts told her that she was being flanked, and as the man stood up, brandishing a short sword he'd been sitting on, she realized what his game was.

"It's a pretty dangerous road to be walking on all alone, sweetheart. You could get hurt, you know." The man said in a raspy voice, his eyes roaming her body, taking on a more predatory leer. "Or worse." He added, licking his chapped lips lewdly and making Lucia cringe in disgust.

"Bandits?" she said, tilting her head. She examined the man for a moment, tossing a brief glance into the bushes to confirm her suspicions as she saw two more men emerge, one heavyset and carrying an axe and the other a bit thinner with a thick wooden club in both hands. She barked a bubbly giggle and turned her gaze quickly back towards the thin man in the road. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you're probably out of your league." She said at last. It wasn't a taunt, nor a jeer. Lucia rarely played mind games on people, and in truth was just being honest as she preferred.

"That's a good one, sweetheart." The lead man said with a chuckle. "The only little girl I'm afraid of is Lina Inverse, and I _know_ you ain't her. Now hand over whatever gold you're carrying and me and the boys don't have to get rough with you." He said with a grin, emphasizing his threat with a quick jab of his sword into the air before him.

"I dunno, man. Maybe I _want_ to get rough with this one, eh?" the heavyset man said with a cackle, resulting in additional laughter from the rest of the bandits, including two more that Lucia hadn't noticed to her left as they emerged from the bushes.

"Five on one? That's hardly fair." Lucia said after a moment, glancing around briefly. Despite the threats around her, she kept her posture calm and non-threatening, her smile remaining friendly and light-hearted. "If you like, I can wait for you to get some more of your friends. You know, to even the odds a little." She added after a moment, punctuating the statement with a cheerful smile.

"Hah!" the apparent leader in the road barked. "Pretty boastful words, little girl. I changed my mind, though. I'm gonna go ahead and take what I want from you by force, and I promise it's more than just gold." The threatened, then pointed his sword at her. "Get 'er, boys!"

Instantly, the surrounding bandits charged in, intending to get on all sides and surround Lucia before she could react. She had other plans, though. With a sudden burst of movement, the swordswoman drew the onyx-hilted blade from its sheath at her hip, revealing its matte black blade engraved with silver runes that sparkled in the morning sun, and turned to her right, breaking into a full-on charge at the heavyset bandit and his club-wielding friend. The two bandits were clearly in shock, not having expected her to turn from passive and non-threatening to offensive so quickly. She gripped the sword in both hands as she charged in, and the club-wielding bandit quickly brought his weapon up to block her overhand chop, but ended up staggering backwards fearfully as her blade sliced right through the club like a hot knife through warm jelly. She pulled back her blow just enough that the blade only cut into the flesh of his chest without causing any serious injury, though she managed to nick a rib. As her stroke ended, she used the momentum to carry her into a spin, snapping her sword up just in time to parry an attack from the axe-wielding bandit. The block had deflected the attack rather than absorbing it, and the bandit found himself off balance for a brief second before a strong kick from one of the swordswoman's plated boots snapped his knee to the side, grotesquely dislocating his kneecap and causing him to cry out in pain. She quickly spun and faced the remaining three bandits, moving into a full charge. The bandit in the road, who barely had time to even register that two of his comrades were already out of the fight shrieked and stumbled backwards, falling onto his butt in the road as Lucia charged past him. She leapt at the next nearest bandit, a grizzly, bearded man wielding a two-handed sword, bringing her sword in a wide arc at his midsection. He managed to parry the blow, but the impact from Lucia's sword forced him onto the defensive, and she wasn't about to let up. While his partner, wielding a pair of daggers, tried to get into position, Lucia hammered away at the larger man's defensive parries with her sword. His occasional offensive attack was defeated by her agility, and he found himself growing exhausted against her apparently tireless rain of offensive strikes. As she forced him backwards, his heel caught a tree root protruding out of the ground and he fell backwards, his heel twisting painfully with an audible snap. Lucia took the opportunity to slap the sword roughly from his hand, sending it bouncing across the grassy forest floor and turning just in time to narrowly avoid a swipe from the other bandit's dagger. Lucia backed away, carefully avoiding quick jabs and thrusts from weapons too small and evasive to parry. After dancing away from the bandit's blades for a few more seconds, she suddenly snapped her foot straight up in front of her, catching the man on the chin with a hard metallic thunk, sending him sprawling to the forest floor unconscious. She took one glance at the sword-wielding bandit by the tree, giggling as she saw his foot still wedged in the tree's root as he tried desperately to pull it free without further injuring it. With a smile, she turned and began approaching the bandit on the road.

"N-now wait a minute! We…we were just kidding, you know? Having a little fun, right?" the bandit stammered pitifully as she approached, "You were right, we _are _out of our league! Okay? You don't have to go proving that anymore!" he rambled as she approached.

"Uh huh, and what was it you were gonna do to me after you took my money?" she asked, her tone genuinely inquisitive.

"Well, n-nothing! Nothing, we weren't gonna do- hlllkkk!" he yelped, his voice suddenly cut off as the swordswoman's armored boot shot up from the road, slamming him square between the legs. He twitched a few times, then his eyes rolled up in his head and he dropped to the road in a puff of dust, unconscious.

"Might wanna put some ice on that before it swells." She said, laughing a little as she sheathed her sword. She surveyed the area once more, noting that the two bandits still capable of fleeing had done so, leaving their fallen comrades to their fates. Shaking her head in disdain, she gave a little sigh and continued on towards Duskhollow, muttering one last time. "Bandits."

It was almost noon by the time she arrived in Duskhollow, and Lucia decided to save her trail rations and instead get herself some lunch at the nearest inn. Duskhollow seemed to be a small town, though she knew already that the town made considerable money selling logs from the rare duskwood trees the town was named after. The town was fairly active, with children playing in the streets and stalls inhabited by numerous merchants selling their wares. The town guard was also out on patrol, and Lucia got the feeling from the way they eyed her as she walked down the main street that they were being extra cautious on account of their local bandit problems. Fortunately, the guards couldn't make heads or tails of the dark-clothed, bubbly, bouncy blonde that had just entered their jurisdiction, so they let Lucia go unhindered.

"Mmm. Food." Lucia said happily as she finally spotted the object of her current desire. The large picture of a roast bird on the sign said all she needed to know, and the swordswoman made a beeline for the tavern, intent on getting herself a light meal before finding out where exactly these bandits were located, wanting to have a full stomach before heading out. The sound of people engaged in various volumes of conversation and the scent of food and wine assaulted her senses as she walked into the tavern, but she was more focused on the latter. Lucia made her way to an empty table and took a seat, casually looking around the common room until a waitress approached her, handing her a menu.

"Welcome to the Duskhollow Inn! How can I help you?" the waitress said politely. Lucia smiled right back as she looked over the menu. Everything looked so good, but she figured that was probably on account of how hungry she was. She did note that the tavern had a different special for each day of the week, however.

"What's your special for today?" she asked, still mulling over the menu's listings.

"That would be roast beef with gravy, a baked sweet potato, and a side of steamed vegetables." The waitress replied, garnering a smile from the hungry swordswoman.

"Oh, that sounds perfect! Bring me one special and a glass of water, please!" she replied happily, her mouth already watering at the prospect of the first good meal she'd have had in weeks. Her recent time on the road had only taken her by one inn, and their selection of food had been restricted to boiled vegetables and stale bread, much to her dismay.

"Right away, miss!" the waitress replied, taking Lucia's menu and rushing off to the kitchen. Lucia looked around the room again, noting that some of the patrons were armed, some of which even looked like soldiers or warriors, and wondered how much competition she was going to face for that reward. _Ah, ah…_she scolded herself. _Business later, food now._ She added mentally. Now was not the time to trouble herself with things to come.

She could worry about the nasty business soon enough.

* * * * * * * *


	2. The White Serpent

**Author's Notes: **As it was pointed out to me, I failed to mention Naga's sword in my first writeup. I had initially decided to use the novel description of her since, from what I've heard, she didn't carry a sword in the novels. However, I decided to go with the anime version instead, thus I modified this chapter to include it in her description.

* * *

**Chapter 2 – The White Serpent**

"Ahhh, that hit the spot!" Lucia sighed happily, pushing the empty plate away satisfied. The waitress approached the table as Lucia took small sips of water from her glass, cleaning up the plate before returning.

"Would you like some dessert, miss?" the waitress asked, holding her serving tray in front of her and smiling happily. So far, Lucia had been her least troublesome customer, and it was a comforting escape from the pinches, grabs, and drunken pickup lines she'd faced so far this morning.

"Oh, no! No, thank you very much. I'm stuffed! Give my compliments to your cook.", she replied, patting her stomach to emphasize her point. She took the waitress' hand and placed a silver coin in her palm, a considerable tip for such a small meal. "Here, this is for you."

The waitress' eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. "Oh, thank you miss! If you need anything else just ask!" she offered before bowing politely and moving off to serve other customers. Lucia giggled at the girl's energy as she leaned back in her chair, idly sipping her water and taking a few more moments to let her meal settle as she watched the activities in the inn. Finding little to keep her attention occupied, she closed her eyes and began contemplating the rest of the day. According to the parchment the mayor had passed out, the camp was hidden, and Lucia had to assume that it was less than a day's journey if the bandits were able to mount effective attacks on the town and still retreat to their camp with whatever spoils they managed to steal. Fortunately, Lucia had performed some tracking in the past and while she was hardly a seasoned tracker, she felt confident that she could find the camp within a day or two. Her contemplation was suddenly interrupted by a particularly peculiar laugh.

"Ohhh, ho, ho, ho, ho…you don't _really_ expect me to eat this, do you?" the woman's voice called out loud enough to echo across the inn. "I specifically asked for Dandora red sauce, which you list on your menu. This hardly qualifies!" she said loudly. The eyes of several tavern patrons were now focused on the woman, and Lucia appraised her curiously. She was very tall, possibly even over six feet, with flowing dark hair and bangs, her forehead adorned by an elegant circlet. While the woman's height and boastful voice were cause enough to draw attention to her, her incredibly busty and voluptuous form was accented by the unusually skimpy costume she wore that barely maintained her modesty and left nothing to the imagination. The waitress stammered for a second before replying.

"But…but this is Dandora red sauce. The cook-" the waitress started, but was cut off by the taller woman.

"Ha! You might be able to fool the lumberjacks and farmers in this little region with this poorly concocted farce, but you'll never manage to get past _my_ sophisticated taste!" the woman said loudly. Lucia decided not to head out just yet, a smile forming on her lips as she found a new source of entertainment for the next few moments. "First of all, Dandora red sauce contains herbs found only in the remote region of Dandora itself. This sauce barely manages to emulate the delicate, spicy flavor that true Dandora red sauce is popular for." The woman explained. "Second, Dandora red sauce is much thicker than this, with a savory, fulfilling texture that clings to the meat and doesn't run off into the plate. Finally, it's clear that you've added something to this sauce to mask the taste of the simple tomato sauce you've used in place of the proper, high quality base."

By the time the woman had finished her explanation, the waitress looked at a complete loss, trembling and stammering in an attempt to explain what she clearly could not. Fortunately for her, the cook, who also owned the tavern itself, made his entrance from the kitchen and stormed over to the woman, nearly shoving the grateful waitress aside as she took the opportunity to retreat back to the safety of the kitchen.

"Would you keep your voice down? I don't need you scaring off all my customers!" the cook rasped at her in a low voice, trying to defuse the situation. The tall woman unleashed another haughty laugh that made the cook as well as several nearby tavern patrons cringe before she leaned forward, forced to bend at the waist to meet the eye level of the shorter cook.

"Well, I wouldn't have to make a scene if you weren't in the business of ripping off your customers, now would I?" the woman said to the cook, grinning slyly.

"Look, true Dandora red sauce is hard to come by, especially this far north. The stuff I make here is close enough. You're the first one to spot it as a fake." The cook said at length, pointing a stubby finger at the woman.

"The fact that you've managed to trick your customers so far is hardly a reason why I should allow such a grave injustice to continue! It's a culinary crime to pass off such third-rate ingredients as a highly valued delicacy." The woman replied with a smirk.

"Fine, how about I give you the meal for free, then?" the stocky man conceded, preferring to lose the cost of a meal to the chance of losing a lot of customers over some stupid imitation sauce.

"Well, I guess I can't really argue if it's free, can I?" the woman replied, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of a free meal. "In that case, I'll take another order as well as a pint of your best mead!" she said excitedly. "You know what? Just leave the bottle!" she added, sitting down and quickly, wordlessly returning to her meal as the cook frowned and stormed off to order the waitress to fill the woman's request.

Lucia giggled softly and slid from her seat as soon as the waitress delivered the woman's food, moving across the inn to stand beside the woman's table. "Very impressive." She offered simply, smiling genuinely at the woman. Lucia prided herself on being able to appraise people as well as valuable treasure, and seldom found reason to distrust her senses. She'd already pegged the woman as a sorceress of some sort due to her outlandish costume and lack of any suitable protection save for a simple long sword hung at her hip. At her comment, the woman looked up at her, chewing a mouthful of food for a moment longer before swallowing and taking a drink from her mug of mead.

"Of course." The woman said simply, looking the diminutive girl over. "What's with the clothes? Are you supposed to be a thief or something?" she asked, taking another sip from her mug.

"Oh, no. Treasure hunter, actually!" she said, smiling so brightly that the sorceress thought she might need to shield her eyes.

"Treasure hunter, huh? Well, I have to admit at least your priorities are in the right place." The sorceress commented, moving to refill her mug from the half-empty bottle on the table.

"My name is Lucia." The swordswoman said cheerfully. "And I'm impressed by your knowledge of culinary delicacies. I'm also a fan of good food. I enjoy cooking in my spare time."

"Hmph. It takes more than a few ingredient substitutions, however well made, to pull one over on Naga the Serpent!" the sorceress proclaimed proudly. Lucia tilted her head. She'd heard that name somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it. She remembered an incident further south involving Lord Calvert's kingdom. She'd passed through in the aftermath of a great battle, and in the wake of the construction learned that the damage had been mostly attributed to a _Dragon Slave_ spell cast by none other than Lina Inverse. Ah, that was it! While staying in the city, she'd also heard mention of Lina's busty traveling companion, and now she realized she had a face, and other body parts, to go with the name.

"Naga the Serpent? Aren't you the one that helped to defeat the dragon Geizneau?" Lucia replied with a wide smile, curiously wondering how easily she could stroke the woman's ego. Naga's eyes lit up at being recognized, something that happened far less often than she'd willingly admit.

"Oh, so my reputation _does_ precede me! I couldn't just stand by and let that dragon enslave humanity, after all. I'd look horrible in chains." The sorceress replied, taking another long drink of mead from her mug.

"Well, it's a pretty popular story down there, you know. Speaking of which, what's a famous heroine like you doing in such a little town?" the swordswoman asked.

"Oh, that. Well, it just so happens that I was passing through this area and heard that this town was being terrorized by a bandit gang. Naga the Serpent does not simply stand by while the safety of innocents is threatened by evildoers!" Naga said, finishing off her second mug of mead.

"Oh, I see! And the reward of thirty gold pieces didn't factor into your decision at all, then?" Lucia replied, punctuating her question with a short giggle. Naga only grinned in response, and Lucia felt her heart drop a bit. "Wait, the bandits are why I'm here, too! I traveled almost thirty miles in the past three days to get here." she said sullenly. Naga gave her another appraising look, then smiled.

"Well, I suppose it would be unfair of me to simply steal the opportunity from you since you came all this way." The sorceress said slowly. "So, how does this sound? We'll split the reward from the mayor, and in exchange for letting you accompany me to find the bandits, I get two-thirds of whatever treasure they've got stashed away." She stated, taking a look into the diminishing bottle of mead before pouring what was left into her mug. Lucia thought about the offer for a moment. She'd never taken the bandits' treasure stash into consideration, but weighing that it could be considerable, even settling for half of the reward and a third of the stash would still give her a lot more treasure than she'd originally come here for.

"I accept!" the swordswoman piped cheerfully a moment later. She extended her hand, which Naga shook casually while downing the rest of her mead with her other hand. Lucia noted that the sorceress still had one full plate of food left, so she excused herself to prepare for the trip while Naga finished eating.

An hour later, the two women found themselves walking out the eastern gate of the city. Lucia had packed an additional day's worth of trail rations in case finding the camp turned out more difficult than she'd expected while Naga, to Lucia's dwindling surprise, had only elected to bring along a spare bottle of mead from the tavern.

"So, how were you planning on finding these bandits anyway?" Naga asked after a moment, glancing down at her traveling companion and musing to herself that it seemed she always got stuck traveling with companions that were shorter than she was. Of course, this girl was decidedly more agreeable than Lina had been, but then again Lina had been her foremost rival while this girl was simply a business partner.

"Well, I figure the easiest way would simply be to wait until some of them make the mistake of trying to rob us, and then track them back to their camp after we send them running in complete terror." Lucia explained at length, the sorceress letting out a laugh in response.

"That sounds perfect." Naga replied, amused at the mental image. "So, tell me about yourself, Lucia." The sorceress said, seeking a little small talk to pass the time.

"There's not much to tell, really. I'm a traveling treasure hunter and adventurer. I once considered hiring myself out as a mercenary, but that usually requires more killing than I prefer. I like to use stealth or diplomacy when possible." the swordswoman explained.

"Hmm. Don't you miss your parents? You seem a bit young to be heading out into the world all alone." the sorceress asked with genuine curiosity, recalling that she herself had left home barely after becoming a teenager. Her question seemed to immediately put Lucia on the defensive, and she noticed a cringe from the girl as her apparently permanent smile wavered briefly.

"My...my parents approved of me leaving home." she said quickly, seeking to change the subject. "What about you? Does the great and beautiful Naga the Serpent ever find time in her busy career to visit home?" Lucia asked, her smile returning as she returned to stroking the sorceress' ego.

"I…keep in touch." Naga said, swallowing a lump in her throat after feeling suddenly uncomfortable. She was hardly used to answering questions about her past, and she rarely thought of her home aside from the occasional letter she sent to let them know she was doing alright. Part of her longed to return home, even if only for a short visit, but there was still a sensitive spot that kept her away. Lucia could see the distracted expression on Naga's face and considered that it was entirely possible that the sorceress had left home on less-than-amiable reasons as well, so she backed off and decided not to press the matter. The two women continued on in relative silence for another hour before Naga suddenly stopped in her tracks and placed her hands on her hips.

"Looks like we've got company." The sorceress said as two men blocked the road ahead. Lucia turned and noticed two more men stepping out of the bushes behind them. They were armed with swords and wore well-maintained armor, hinting to the swordswoman that they were better funded than typical bandits. Their strategy had worked exactly as planned so far.

"Let's just get this over with, ladies." The lead bandit said as he stepped forward. "Give us your gold and possessions and we'll be on our way. Nobody's gotta get hurt." It was a simple demand, voiced with a steady tone that indicated that these particular bandits have probably done this many times before. In fact, the bandit's rehearsed line bordered on boredom.

"Ohhhh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho…" Naga's laugh sliced through the tension in the air. "The only ones who are going to get hurt are you. Run while you can." The sorceress boasted, pointing her finger at the leader and the bandit flanking him. Lucia turned and placed her back to Naga's, facing the two bandits behind them. Naga turned her head slightly to talk to Lucia in a low whisper. "You get those two, I'll handle these. Just…don't chop them up too bad." She said lowly, unused to traveling with a warrior and unsure she could handle seeing blood spilled all over the road.

"I wouldn't worry about that." Lucia replied. She wasn't really in the mood to use her sword, anyway. Normally, she wouldn't rely on magic in combat, but at the moment she was more eager to get down to tracking these bandits back to their camp, and a few singes from some low-level magic were a lot less crippling than being impaled.

"Well, then. I guess we're going to do this the hard way." The bandit said after a moment. "Now, it's time for you to-" he began, but was cut off.

"Dil Brand!" Naga called out, the two front bandits flying through the air as the ground exploded under their feet, sending them dozens of feet into the air. The two bandits approaching from the other direction slowed a bit, clearly not having expected either of their targets to be sorceresses. Lucia took that opportunity to open up with her own attack.

"Burst Rondo!" Lucia cried, launching several small flaming spheres at the two bandits. The spheres exploded around them, scorching their armor and singing their skin but doing little actual damage. The implied threat was clear enough, though, and they immediately began to circle around the two women towards their comrades, who were still picking themselves up off of the ground and staggering from numerous bruises.

"Forget this." One of the bandits said to the others. "I'm not pickin' no fight with a couple of sorceresses." He said as he turned to disappear into the forest. While saying nothing in response, it was clear his comrades agreed wholeheartedly as they turned and fled with him.

"Ohhhh, ho, ho, ho, ho! That's what they get for crossing Naga the- hey! Wait up, Lucia!" Naga called out as she noticed Lucia had already taken off in pursuit of the fleeing bandits. Lucia kept her pace slower than that of the bandits. She felt confident that they would not proceed back to their hidden camp if they knew they were being followed. Naga quickly caught up to Lucia. "Hey, why are you moving so slow?"

"We don't want them to know we're following them or they'll lead us the wrong way." Lucia replied quietly, pointing to a trail of bushes that had been disturbed by their passing.

"Oh, right." Naga replied. The two of them slowly followed the trail left by the fleeing bandits, though it became considerably more difficult as the bandits passage became motivated more by stealth and less by fear. A snapped twig here, a torn brush there, a branch out of place, all were clear signs of where the bandits had traversed. It took over an hour and required the two to backtrack at least twice, but soon they found themselves kneeling in the brush, less than one-hundred yards from the bandit encampment.

"I'd say this is the place." Lucia said after a moment. She counted at least twenty bandits, not counting the ones that were probably inside of the brick buildings the bandits had hastily constructed near the back wall of the clearing.

"So, should we just do this quickly?" Naga responded. "I could hit the buildings with a few explosion spells, then we handle the ones out in the camp." The sorceress suggested. Lucia evaluated her plan for a moment. It sounded easy enough, as she suspected that these bandits were no more menacing than the four they'd met on the road, but there were always surprises in store.

"What if they have a sorcerer or wizard working for them? That will complicate things, won't it?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Then we'll deal with that when we come to it." The sorceress replied, and from the sound of her tone she was getting more and more excited about the coming battle. With a nod, both women moved into the camp.

As luck would have it, the bandits had no other spell casters in their band. Lucia and Naga had little difficulty clearing the bandits out of the camp. Naga's plan to demolish the buildings in the back of the encampment worked like a charm, and as the buildings exploded in a blast of dust and flying brick, Lucia took advantage of the confusion by charging into the open encampment and attacking the bandits in close combat. Between Naga's explosive magic and Lucia's frenzied swordplay, the entire encampment was filled with unconscious, cowering, and fleeing bandits in less than twenty minutes, leaving the two women to mull over the bandits' treasure stash. There were far too many things to carry, but after Naga had taken her share of the more expensive items, Lucia picked out some choice gems, a nice decorative dagger, and a few handfuls of gold coins. The two decided they'd leave the rest of the treasure there for the townspeople to send for since they clearly couldn't carry it all.

"I guess we make a pretty good team!" Lucia said cheerfully, smiling as she situated her sack of loot on her shoulder. Naga looked over at her for a moment, then nodded as she stood, her own take of the treasure considerably smaller given their original agreement. Lucia was about to say something, but then figured that Naga's two-thirds probably referred to quality rather than quantity, and that she'd probably picked out a lot of small yet extremely expensive items.

"Let's go back to Duskhollow and claim our reward, then, shall we?" Naga said after cinching up her pouch. With a nod, Lucia joined the sorceress as the two women walked unimpeded out of the encampment.


	3. Grim Tidings

**Chapter 3 – Grim Tidings**

The sun was still hours above the horizon when the two women finished taking their pick of the bandits' treasure stash. Naga had taken first pick, as the two of them had agreed, and Lucia, as usual, remained patient and optimistic until it was her turn. She hadn't noticed what Naga picked out, but realized that her pouch of treasure was considerably smaller than Lucia's, which carried only a few prize gems, a few handfuls of gold, and a decorative dagger.

"Aren't you going to take more? We did agree that you get more than me." Lucia said, pointing at the pile of gold and stolen valuables.

"Quality, not quantity, Lucia." Naga replied in her usual knowing tone. "We can leave the rest here for the villagers to send for. Most of this probably belonged to them anyway." The sorceress said, tying her pouch under her cloak. Lucia gave a nod as she stowed her haul as well, the two women leaving the encampment and finding their way back to the road.

"That was easier than I thought it would be. I wonder why their guards couldn't have taken care of that." Lucia commented as they walked.

"They probably didn't want to spare the manpower for a search. That would've left the town unprotected." Naga said after a moment. "Besides, it's likely that the villagers didn't know how small the encampment really was."

"I guess that's possible." Lucia conceded. "You were pretty good back there, by the way. I wouldn't have thought of blowing the buildings themselves up." she said, admiring the fact that the sorceress was capable of displaying tactics when necessary. Most of the sorcerers and other magic-users she knew were either tactically inept or preferred to sit back and let the fighters do all the hard work.

"You weren't too bad yourself, Lucia." Naga admitted, having gained a newfound respect for her most recent traveling companion's abilities. "With a little more refinement, you could almost compete with me." She'd only paired up with Lina before, and found that being accompanied by someone more skilled in physical combat provided a pretty decent balance, not to mention the fact that a good sword and the muscle behind it wouldn't falter once a month.

"You think so?" Lucia asked genuinely. She wasn't about to deny that Naga was considerably more powerful than she was in the ways of magic. Of course, for her, magic was a tool used to enhance and supplement one's combat abilities, not replace them entirely. "Well, I know some elemental shamanist spells like Fireball, Flare and Freeze Arrow, and some utility spells like Levitation and Lighting, but I prefer relying on my sword and my reflexes in a fight."

Naga laughed. "I'm actually relieved that you can't cast the Dragon Slave!" the tall sorceress said, breaking into her usual laughter. After traveling with Lina, Naga had begun to view every town they entered as a potential destruction zone, and while she was hardly bothered by a little collateral damage, she had to admit that Lina's heavy-handedness cramped even _her_ style a little bit.

"Dragon Slave. Hmph." Lucia responded, then giggled a little. "Using the Dragon Slave on anything smaller than a dragon is like chopping down an entire tree just to get an apple." She said. "Big spells may be all awe-inspiring and flashy, but they completely lack finesse and grace." The swordswoman explained.

"I have to agree with you there." Naga replied as the two women finally got back on the main road and began heading west back towards town. It would have been a somewhat short trip except for the loud cry of fear they heard from the woods less than an hour after finding the road. A moment later, a thin man wearing tattered clothes came running out of the woods towards them. Lucia pegged him for a messenger judging by his manner of dress and the scroll case he carried around his shoulder. As he spotted them, he began waving his arms frantically.

"Demons! Monsters! You have to get out of here! They're right behind me!" he cried desperately as he ran past them. No sooner did he move by them did the trees he'd come through shudder forcefully before two large lesser demons smashed through the brush and into the clearing by the road. The beasts were about nine feet tall, their bodies covered with thick fur, blood red eyes gazing out of faces that were a mixture of canine and bovine in structure, complete with pairs of large, bull-like horns. As they spotted the two women in the road, they stopped chasing the messenger and turned towards them.

"Wow, he wasn't kidding!" Naga exclaimed as she started backing away from the monsters. "_Freeze Arrow!"_ Naga yelled as she pointed her finger at the left demon, moving her left arm as if nocking an arrow before firing the icy projectile at the beast. The monster roared and started to advance before the arrow caught it square in the chest, encasing the entire beast in ice. Lucia drew her sword and rushed past the block of ice towards the second demon. It drew back to take a swing at her, but as it completed the attack, Lucia nimbly ducked under the monster's razor claws and cut in an upwards stroke with her sword, cleaving clean through the creature. Its physical form torn asunder, the creature's body evaporated into a shadowy miasma as its essence evaporated.

"What on earth are these things?" Lucia turned to ask Naga as the sorceress walked over and gave the frozen demon a little push, causing it to crash to the ground and shatter, its physical form fading into ether.

"Lesser demons." Naga said, her tone more serious than usual. Lucia's eyes widened at that revelation.

"Lesser demons? But…lesser demons don't just come to the material plane on their own, do they? I thought they had to be summoned!" she exclaimed as she sheathed her sword. Her father had told her tales about the Mazoku and their various underlings, and her mother had all manner of stories, some of which even came from her own personal experience with the creatures.

"They do have to be summoned." Naga replied, turning and looking towards the messenger as he slowly approached, seemingly stunned that two women had dispatched the beasts with such apparent ease. "The question is: Who summoned them?"

"That was incredible! You saved my life! How can I repay you?" the messenger stammered as he stopped before the two.

"I don't know. How _can_ you repay us?" Naga replied, grinning widely. The man looked between the two women for a moment, then stood up a bit more straight.

"My name is Thomas, and I'm a messenger for Lord Thadius Bennet, a sorcerer. I was delivering a message to one of my master's rivals when those creatures suddenly attacked me. If you hadn't been here…" he says, trailing off as both women simply stared at him expectantly. After a moment of silence, he remembered the tall one's question. "My master is quite wealthy!" he said quickly. "I'm sure if you were to escort me back to his palace, he would reward you." The man said. At the word 'reward', both women's' eyes lit up.

"Well then why are we standing around here?" Naga asked excitedly. "Lead the way, Thomas. I, Naga the Serpent, and my sidekick Lucia, will ensure that no harm comes to you!" Lucia blinked at the word 'sidekick', then giggled cheerfully and gave the man a little bow, causing Naga to laugh in return. She really wasn't used to traveling companions that possessed so much modesty. The man looked at the two for a moment, then shrugged, leading them onward down the road. After twenty minutes of walking, the three travelers turned off of the main road that would lead them towards Duskhollow and continued southward.

"Hey, Naga. What about our reward in Duskhollow?" Lucia asked as they marched down the road.

"I'm sure the mayor can wait one more day. Besides, nobody else is going to show up to claim the reward now that we demolished the bandits." The sorceress replied. "Hey, Thomas. Your master has food, doesn't he?" Naga asked after a moment, realizing she was getting hungry again.

"I can't promise you a banquet, but given all you've done for me, I'm sure he'll have something for you, miss." Thomas replied nervously, glancing about. It was clear from his actions that he was still on edge from the first attack. Apparently, he was still anticipating more demon attacks. He was calmed though, somewhat, as he noticed that both women were occasionally scanning the tree line near the road in case of any trouble. He took the time to appraise his two protectors.

The tall one was, as his father had once put it, built for bedrooms, and he had a hard time keeping his eyes from straying below her shoulder line. However, there was a confident, almost arrogant look on the woman's face that could serve as a warning in and of itself not to cross her. She carried a sword, but from what he'd seen of her earlier, and her lack of armor, he highly suspected that her skill with magic was more than enough to compensate. At least twice during the trip, she had caught him looking her over, causing him to immediately look away sheepishly, but from the grin on her face, he could tell that she was used to such attentions from men, and probably even enjoyed it given her outlandishly sparse outfit.

To his eyes, the shorter one was almost the complete polar opposite of her traveling companion. She was short and had shining blonde hair and an innocent-looking face that seemed painted with a permanent expression of enjoyment. She seemed bubbly, and even when she wasn't talking she always seemed very cheerful and content, a personality that completely contrasted her dark clothing, which covered everything from the neck down. Despite this, the concealing outfit she wore was form fitting enough that Thomas could tell the girl kept a fairly nice figure hidden under all that leather and chain mail.

The rest of the trip was completed in relative silence, with only an occasional comment or question leveled from either the women or the messenger, and by early dusk the group had arrived at Lord Bennet's manor. The manor was a large structure surrounded by a stone wall. As they entered the gate, they were greeted by a large courtyard, at the end of which were two curved staircases that lead up to a second tier where the manor itself rested. The building was at least four stories tall judging by the rows of windows, and was crafted of pure white marble. Several marble statues decorated the courtyard, as well as a large, elaborate fountain. If the two had had any doubts about this Lord Bennet's ability to pay them for their troubles, those doubts were now long behind them. Their appraisal of the manor was only strengthened as they entered the main hall. The walls were rich with tapestries and valuable paintings, and there were numerous marble busts throughout, and two semi-circular staircases leading up to a second-floor balcony. As the three entered, a middle-aged bearded man wearing expensive garments dyed a rich golden color walked out onto the balcony. The slight graying in his black hair betrayed more age than his otherwise vigorous appearance.

"Thomas, why have you returned so soon? And who have you brought into my home uninvited?" the man asked in a deep baritone voice. Thomas immediately bowed, speaking clearly to his master.

"I was attacked by demons, my lord, while relaying your message to Baron Korto. The message was lost in the attack, but these two women saved me. This is Lucia the Swordswoman and Naga the Sorceress." The messenger explained, motioning to each woman respectively as he introduced them. The man examined the two women for a moment from a distance before making his way down the stairs.

"I see." The man said after he was halfway down the stairs. "Thank you for saving my servant, ladies, though this news brings more worry than relief, I'm afraid." The man said at length as he moved before the two women.

"What do you mean?" Lucia asked bluntly.

"I believe he's referring to the demons, Lucia." Naga interjected. "As you supposed earlier, lesser demons must be summoned, they cannot simply come to our plane unassisted. That means that someone was targeting your servant directly, and _that_ means that someone with enough power to summon demons was targeting _you_ directly. Am I right?" the tall sorceress said with a confident grin on her face.

"Yes, you are correct." Bennet replied, leaning over as Thomas whispered something to him before moving away. "Thomas informs me that you haven't eaten in some time. Come, I believe a hot meal is the least I can provide in exchange for what you've done for me already." The man said, motioning towards a side archway before proceeding.

The two women followed Bennet into the adjoining room, which appeared to be a large banquet hall, the room crafted from the same polished white marble as the rest of his considerable manor. Bennet continued leading them onward and into a side room, clearly meant for smaller groups to eat and apparently where the lord himself ate when not entertaining large numbers of guests. Two servants dressed as maids led Lucia and Naga to their seats, then moved off to assist in the preparation of their meal.

"I will leave you to eat. Feel free to take as much as you like, but let one of my servants know when you are finished. I have a business proposition for the two of you." The man said, heading back towards the main hall and leaving the two women in the room alone save for a single male servant by the door. The two looked around the room briefly, admiring the richness of the room itself.

"Wow, I never expected something like this!" Lucia said excitedly. "Do you think he'll give us a reward?"

"Probably not. Not yet, anyway." Naga calmly replied. "For saving his servant, he probably assumes that a free meal, especially one in a place like this, is thanks enough. But he _did_ mention that he has an offer for us." The sorceress said.

"Yeah, that's right." Lucia replied. "I wonder what it is. Something violent I'd guess since he seems to think we're so good for it." Lucia said. Her sharp eye hadn't missed Bennet's quick response at learning that they were a sorceress and swordswoman. She couldn't quite make out the emotion his expression had portrayed, but she knew the look of a person hearing opportunity's knock when she saw it.

"Most likely something involving more lesser demons." Naga said, glancing back as the door to the kitchen creaked open. "Or worse." She finished as the smell of food came flooding into the room. Several servants came out shortly after, each carrying a large platter with some kind of food on it. Roasted turkey, beef pot roast, a pot of stew, another of soup, a large bowl of salad greens, several baked sweet potatoes, and several smaller jars containing various sauces and condiments. Both women eyed the food wantonly, eyes shining and mouths watering.

"Oh, Lord Bennet, you're _far_ too kind!" Naga exclaimed eagerly as she began selecting a little from each of the various foods available, soon filling her plate with a small portion of every type of food on the table. Lucia, on the other hand, cut off a few slices of beef and some sweet potato, preferring to stick to what she liked best.

"I didn't expect the food to be ready so soon." Lucia commented after the two of them had had time to get well into their meal. They'd only been sitting at the table for five minutes or so, hardly enough time to prepare a roast, much less a large bird. Naga waved Lucia's suspicions away with one hand while drinking ale from a tankard with the other.

"He's royalty, Lucia." The sorceress replied. "Anyone in a position of nobility likely has food prepared or at least nearly prepared all throughout the day. You never know when someone important, like me, is going to show up and need to be pampered." Naga explained before spearing a piece of roast with her fork and popping it in her mouth.

"Seems like a bit of a waste to me." The swordswoman replied as she finished off the last of her food, pushing the plate aside. Naga eyed her curiously for a moment.

"Well, when you're rich, you can afford to waste a little here and there. Is that all you're going to have?" the sorceress asked while refilling her plate. Lucia glanced down at her plate, then over at Naga's, and shrugged.

"How do you know so much about royalty, anyway?" Lucia asked after a moment, tilting her head and gazing curiously at the woman. Naga blinked for a moment. It was quick, but the question had caught her off guard, if only for a split second.

"Well, someone as important as myself has naturally had the fortune of dining with nobility in the past, Lucia. You don't honestly believe that one of my high caliber would have gone unnoticed by the royal population, did you?" Naga said at length, punctuating the end of her sentence with one of her trademark laughs before taking a large gulp from her tankard. Lucia nodded slowly, accepting the sorceress' explanation despite how exaggerated she assumed it had been. The rest of their meal went by in relative silence, with Naga clearing yet two more plates before satisfied. Once that was done, the sorceress bade one of the servants to get Bennet as the table was cleaned, and the two women sat back and waited.

"Well, ladies. I take it the food was to your liking." Lord Bennet said a few minutes later as he entered the room. He was still wearing the garment from their first meeting, but now wore a silver-runed cowl and had adjusted his hair a bit as well, clearly an attempt to make himself more presentable to his guests.

"Oh, it was delicious!" Lucia replied cheerfully. Naga nodded in response to Lucia's compliments as the nobleman took a seat across from the two women.

"Yes, now you said you had a job for us. I hope you understand our services don't come cheap." The sorceress explained, leaning back in her chair and fixing the nobleman with a firm gaze. Bennet nodded slowly and proceeded to explain the details of his offer.

"Thomas was on his way to deliver a message to a rival of mine, a man by the name of Rial Korto. He is another noble, and while he does not own as much land as I do, he has become a considerable threat." Bennet explained, his expression darkening. "You see, he has made a deal with a mazoku in order to gain enough strength to beat me in a power struggle that has broken out in our region." The nobleman said, clasping his hands together in front of himself.

"So, it goes beyond mere lesser demons then." Naga said, looking at Lucia. The swordswoman met the sorceress' gaze and nodded slowly before Naga's gaze returned to Bennet. "Well, then I'm forced to reiterate how expensive our services can be, Lord Bennet. Fighting mazoku is hardly something most people are willing to do."

"Actually, Lady Naga, I do not believe it will be that difficult. You see, my spies have informed me that this particular mazoku does not desire to be in our plane of existence and would like nothing better than to return home. However, there is an item that keeps him locked in our dimension and forced to remain in the service of Duke Korto." Bennet explained.

"A pledge stone." Lucia replied. She had learned about the ancient practice of humans making deals with mazoku, the race of evil monsters that fed on and gained power from negative human emotions such as pain, fear, and suffering. Demons, such as those she and Naga had battled in the road, were only the pawns of the true mazoku. If a human made a pact with a mazoku, they could even gain immortality, becoming completely impervious to physical injury as well as gaining some control over the mazoku's actions in the material plane. In return, the mazoku almost always received a veritable feast of negative emotions, as any human that made such a deal was likely interested in causing untold suffering and pain, thus making the agreement mutually beneficial. Such agreements were usually sealed with an item called a _pledge stone_, which acted as a contract between mazoku and human. Breaking the pledge stone therefore broke the agreement between the two.

"Precisely. I would be willing to wager that destroying Korto's pledge stone would break his bond with the monster and allow it to return to its home plane." The nobleman replied. Naga and Lucia exchanged another glance before the swordswoman leaned forward a bit on the table.

"It's a pretty safe bet that the pledge stone will be well-hidden, and probably well guarded. In fact, we could very well be forced to fight this mazoku just to reach the stone anyway, so making the stone our target might not make the task any easier." Lucia said with a slight sigh. While the lesser demons they'd fought before were relatively easy to kill, the higher ranking mazoku were quite a bit more resilient to damage. Unlike humans and lesser demons, which have to possess a physical body in order to work on the material plane, a mazoku's physical body was merely a projection of their astral form, and inflicting damage on the physical projection alone caused absolutely no harm to the mazoku themselves. Thus, only spells or weapons capable of damaging astral bodies had a chance of killing a mazoku.

"I agree with Lucia." Naga said after a moment. "We could end up fighting this mazoku either way, and like I said, destroying a mazoku is no small task."

"I'm willing to pay you three hundred gold pieces if you successfully destroy the pledge stone or return it to me." Bennet said finally, causing the eyes of both women to light up.

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place!?" Naga exclaimed. "Of course we'll help you, Lord Bennet!" the sorceress cried, her mood suddenly completely different. Lucia seemed less enthusiastic about fighting the mazoku, but she was no less excited about the prospect of splitting that large a sum of money. She and Naga exchanged a glance before she nodded quickly.

"Ah, very good. I can provide you with a map that details how to get to Korto's mansion. I wish I could provide you with more, but you two appear to be fairly competent, so I'm sure you won't have too much trouble." Bennet said, drawing a rolled parchment from his robe and setting it on the table. The two women examined the map for a moment, then nodded to each other as Naga turned to Bennet.

"We'll set off first thing in the morning!"


	4. Little White Lies

**Chapter 4 – Little White Lies**

Early the next morning, only shortly after the sun had risen and more shortly after the swordswoman and her sorceress companion had eaten a generous breakfast served by Lord Bennet's servants, the two women were once more on the road. Lucia busily examined the map the nobleman had given them while Naga idly nibbled on a leftover roll she'd grabbed as they left the breakfast table.

"This map isn't very detailed.", Lucia commented as she and the sorceress walked down the winding path and deeper into the forest. "And don't you think it's a bit odd that both of these noblemen have their homes so deep in uninhabited forest?"

"They probably want their privacy. You saw Lord Bennet's mansion, it was surrounded by over an acre of well-maintained gardens. He probably wants a nice, out-of-the-way place to entertain guests." Naga replied.

"I guess." Lucia answered, still peering at the map. Naga had stated the day before that she was a regular guest of nobility, and her mannerisms were those of high society, so she was clearly more experienced in the motivations of the upper crust. She resigned herself to a shrug. "I'm really not looking forward to this."

"What, facing Mazoku? Relax. As long as you're teamed up with me, Naga the Serpent, we will be victorious!" the sorceress exclaimed with her usual haughty tone, punctuating it with her trademark laugh which Lucia couldn't help but giggle at in response, despite the knot in her stomach. "Though, with that sword, you might want to stay back and let me handle the Mazoku. Blades aren't too effective against them."

"I think I can manage.", Lucia replied, looking down at the silver and black hilt of her sword. Lucia's sword alone was worth more gold than any treasure she'd ever hunted. During an excursion into an old temple dated to before the War of the Monster's Fall, she had encountered an ancient golden dragon chained and shackled. The beast had been furious and, Lucia suspected, partially insane from centuries of imprisonment. Nevertheless, she took the risk of freeing the creature, and in return it had given her the sword, which had been kept as the temple's treasure. She wasn't sure of all of its properties, but she knew that the core of the blade contained orihalcon, and that the outer shell was enchanted for sharpness and durability.

"If you say so." Naga replied casually, taking a swig from one of the few bottles of booze she seemed to carry with her at all times. Lucia eyed her curiously for a moment.

"Why do you drink all the time, anyway?" Lucia asked, noticing that the sorceress was rarely completely sober and hadn't slept once since they'd met without alcohol inducing most of the slumber.

"I don't know, because it's relaxing I suppose. Granted, the stuff you get in these parts is very low quality, but it does get the job done." the sorceress replied, taking another swig before corking the bottle and letting it hang at her hip, letting out another long laugh. She glanced down at the smaller woman. Lina had never seemed to care _why_ she drank, all she ever did was complain about it and call her names like 'drunken idiot' and 'lush'. Then again, she was learning that Lucia was nothing like Lina, and she found the constantly optimistic, always cheerful swordswoman an inviting change. Then she realized something. "My laugh doesn't intimidate you." The sorceress stated flatly.

"Huh?" Lucia inquired, looking up from the map again.

"Most people cringe or flee in awe at the magnificence of my well-developed laugh. You just sit there and giggle at it. Do I amuse you?" Naga asked, unsure of why it caught her as funny. Okay, so some people hated her laugh, but that was just because they couldn't grasp the sheer refinement it took to maintain it so well.

"I like your laugh." Lucia replied matter-of-factly, beaming a smile up at the sorceress before returning her gaze to the map. "I think it suits you." She added. Naga felt a blush in spite of herself at the compliment. Now that was something Lina _never_ did.

"Well, you're pretty easygoing yourself, Lucia. Does anything ever get to you?" Naga asked, noticing that the swordswoman was often in high spirits.

"No way! You can't let things get to you. Every moment you spend feeling sad, or angry, or depressed is just one more moment wasted. Life is meant to be enjoyed! Savored!" Lucia explained optimistically. "Sure, bad things happen, but it's how you react to them that determines how your life unfolds." She added. For a brief moment, Naga felt reminded of her little sister's justice speeches.

"I like your philosophy, Lucia." Naga replied. "Grab life by the horns, and never let go!" the sorceress added, punctuating her statement with another laugh, which Lucia joined in on.

* * *

Two hours later, both women stood in front of a small castle keep buried in the forest. Unlike Lord Bennet's rich, luxurious mansion, Korto's Keep was a fortified, though aging, structure built more for defense and its ominous presence than for entertaining guests.

"Well, I guess that blows my theory of private luxury out of the water, doesn't it?" Naga said with a smirk. "Why is it the bad guys always have such lousy groundskeepers?"

"Maybe his food is better?" Lucia asked jokingly, getting an amused 'hmph' from Naga as the two of them entered the main gate and approached the large double-doors. The keep was devoid of any courtyard, instead only possessing a small walk-up path leading to the stairs that entered the front of the keep itself. The building was large and square-shaped, smaller than either of them had expected but still large enough to house a considerable force if necessary, making both women a bit uneasy. However, to the relief of both, they found the sparsely decorated main hall of the keep empty. "Wow, he sure doesn't like to decorate, does he?"

"That's because this is a military structure, my dear lady." A voice echoed from above them. Both women dropped into defensive postures as they looked up the staircase in front of them, seeing a man in his early 40s standing above them. He was dressed in darkened steel armor and holding a sword, and his neatly-trimmed hair and beard, just beginning to gray with age, screamed military discipline.

"I take it you are Lord Korto." Naga said after a moment, standing tall and placing her hands on her hips. Lucia also seemed to relax a bit, but given that the man was armed and that he supposedly had a Mazoku working for him, she kept her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Indeed I am, dear woman. Who are you two?" the man asked in return, his scrutinizing gaze moving back and forth between them.

"Need you ask? I am the great Naga the White Serpent, and this is my sidekick and traveling companion, Lucia Moore." The sorceress announced. Korto's gaze seemed more or less indifferent, and it was clear he'd never heard of either of them. He sheathed his sword, but remained at the top step, clearly defensive.

"And would you mind explaining why you're in my keep? Why you've barged into my home uninvited?" the man asked, his tone growing indignant.

"Yeah, we're here for your Mazoku!" Lucia exclaimed.

"I see. So, Lord Bennet has sent a pair of lackeys to do what he cannot. Pathetic." The man said, cracking his knuckles in a theatrical manner. "Very well, then. If that's why you're here, then there's only one option." Korto said firmly before pointing a hand at the floor between the women. "Fireball!"

"Damn!" Lucia yelled, diving to the side just in time to avoid the blast wave from the spell as it impacted the floor, sending roaring flames and flakes of stone flying about the room. She tucked into a roll and came up on her feet, looking back frantically to see that Naga had anticipated the attack and also dodged the brunt of the spell. Lucia quickly drew her sword.

"Freeze arrow!" Naga shouted, nocking an arrow-shaped shaft of ice and firing it at Korto, who ducked behind the railing of the thick stone staircase just in time to avoid being frozen solid. Lucia was about to charge up the stairs when she remembered the Mazoku, suddenly realizing that Korto could be trying to lure one of them into a trap.

"You're both fools! Pawns of that ridiculous Bennet and his schemes!" Korto cried before standing up and firing off a Burst Rondo volley at Naga, who was forced to take cover behind a pillar.

"Lucia! See if you can get behind him!" Naga said in a hushed tone too low for the lord to hear. Lucia nodded to the sorceress, still wondering when the Mazoku would make its appearance. She decided that dealing with the more apparent threat was more important, and started looking for a way up to the second floor. Meanwhile, Korto lined up another fireball and sent it at the wall beside Naga, nearly leveling the sorceress in the process. Naga dove out from behind the pillar, her cape smoking from the flames.

"Vibration Blast!" Naga chanted, firing bolts of sonic energy at Korto, missing him but striking the stone banister beside him, showering him in stone chunks and forcing him to move towards the right side of Naga's view. She followed this spell up with two more Vibration Blasts, shattering more stone and further driving the man across the balcony. This in turn opened up a route for Lucia, who immediately began climbing one of the long draperies that hung on either side of the balcony.

"You can't hit what you can't see, Korto!" Naga taunted, laughing haughtily as her attacks sent up a thick cloud of stone dust, obscuring Korto's view. Her laugh was cut short as Korto fired off a flare arrow that slammed into the ground in front of her, sending her reeling.

"You've got a big mouth, woman!" Korto replied. He then prepared to fire another arrow at Naga before suddenly turning just as Lucia landed on the balcony and started towards him. "Ah, very sneaky!" he said with a sneer, then turned his spell on the swordswoman instead. "Flare Arrow!"

"Try again!" Lucia countered, bringing her sword to bear just as the spell reached her. She caught the arrow with her sword, the spell reflecting off of the blade and up harmlessly, slamming into the ceiling and doing little more than scorching the stone above. Korto smirked.

"Ah, so there is more to that fancy sword of yours than just fine craftsmanship!" Korto said. "But how many can you block?" he taunted, firing another arrow at her. Lucia brought up the sword to deflect the second arrow, sending it flying across the room and out a nearby window. Lucia knew she couldn't keep blocking his arrows forever, but she also knew she couldn't actually deflect the arrows directly back at Korto. Naga levitated up to the level of the second floor just in time to narrowly avoid being struck by the second arrow.

"Hey! Watch it!" the sorceress cried as she reeled in the air.

"Sorry! I can't exactly control where they go!" Lucia replied as Korto sent yet another arrow at her. This time, the deflected arrow went back at a sharper angle, the rebound causing Lucia to stagger. The sharper the angle she deflected the spells at, the more painful the recourse. As the arrow sailed back, Korto suddenly shouted out.

"No!" the armored man cried, diving in front of the arrow and taking a solid hit to the breastplate, the impact sending him into a nearby wall and leaving a smoking dent on his armor. Lucia blinked, looking completely confused.

"What the…?" the swordswoman muttered, trying to figure out what had happened. Naga, however, had a better vantage point from where she was, and was able to see what Lucia could not. Korto had dove in front of the arrow, which had been on a collision course for a nearby tapestry. Behind that tapestry, Naga could see what appeared to be an ornately decorated ceramic vase. A grin suddenly made its way across her lips.

"The pledge stone…" Naga murmured under her breath. While Korto regained his footing, Naga took aim and fired another Vibration Blast at the vase. Korto spun to face Lucia just as the alcove behind him exploded from the force of the spell's impact.

"No!" he cried again, the vase shattering into a cloud of black smoke.

"Hah! So much for your pledge of immortality now, eh Lord Korto?" Naga said, her laugh echoing off of the stone of the great hall.

"Pledge? You fools! That wasn't a pledge stone! I am not the one with the pledge of immortality!" Korto screamed at the two women as the black smoke cloud started to solidify. Naga lowered herself onto the balcony as the two of them stared dumbfounded at the cloud and Korto.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Lucia asked, though she was beginning to realize that they'd both been played.

"Lord Bennet is the one that has taken a pledge of immortality! I found a way to entrap the Mazoku he summoned inside of that enchanted vase! Now it is free!" Korto explained hastily as he moved away from the cloud, which by now had formed into a vaguely humanoid shape. Naga and Lucia looked at one another, both wearing sheepish expressions. Suddenly, a shard looking like it was carved of pure obsidian shot from the cloud, impaling Lord Korto through the chest, the projectile lodging itself firmly in his breastplate and sending him against the far wall. He made one last gasp for breath, then collapsed to the floor, leaving both women staring incredulously at the shadowy form.

"_That_ was for keeping me cooped up in that filthy little vessel." A sinister, low-pitched voice resounded from the humanoid figure. The creature was featureless save for a pair of deep violet eyes which now stared at the two remaining humans. "I want to thank you for freeing me from that vase. Normally, I would not be so generous, but I will grant the two of you your lives. You may leave."

"Ha! Do you really think I'm going to just walk out of here?" Naga asked, placing her hands on her hips. "If word got out that Naga the Serpent simply allowed a Mazoku to roam free, my reputation would be ruined!" the sorceress said. "So, I hope you're ready to face oblivion."

"It seems Korto was right about one thing." The Mazoku said darkly. "You two really _are_ fools!" it added, raising a hand and firing another razor-sharp shadow shard.


	5. No Pain, No Pain

**Author's Note: **This chapter has some somewhat graphic descriptions of physical violence. Just thought I'd give a warning. This chapter is a bit 'darker' than what most Slayers fans are used to

* * *

**Chapter 5 – No Pain, No…Pain.**

"Look out!" Lucia cried as she brought her sword around in a frantic attempt to deflect the incoming obsidian shard as it sailed at the two women. As the shard struck her sword, there was an explosive concussion of energy, the blast sending Lucia's sword flying from her hand and sending her tumbling across the stone floor. The shadowy creature before them let out a hissing sound not unlike a laugh.

"Well, that's a neat trick you have Mr. Mazoku, but you're not the first of your kind I've ever faced." Naga announced, using a haughty toss of her hair to hide the glance she'd thrown Lucia's way to ensure that the swordswoman was okay. After all, she would probably need her help in this fight. She noticed Lucia getting to her feet and continued to keep the monster's attention. "I hope you know who you're messing with."

"Oh, yes. I know exactly who you are, Naga the Serpent." the monster replied in its hissing voice. "I know much about you and your spunky little companion." he added, letting out another laughing sound. "I know that both of you run from painful pasts, for example."

Lucia finally got to her feet and retrieved her sword, moving to stand next to Naga. "Then it seems you have us at a disadvantage, because we don't know who you are." she said, holding her sword firmly in front of her. _I know my sword can block those shards of his, but damn it hurts when I do, _she thought to herself.

"Ah, yes. Where _are_ my manners?" the Mazoku hissed sarcastically. "I am Ghedrial, and some know me as the 'Keeper of Secrets'. I have a gift, you see. I feast upon the pain and fear of mortals."

"All Mazoku feed on negative emotions. What makes you so special?" Naga asked, feeling more than a little unnerved that this creature claimed to know about her past.

"Ah, you see, I can feed upon past pains, past fears. I can see deep into the spirit of mortals. I can enhance their past terrors, and as a result, enhance the delectable flavor of their suffering!" the demonic creature howled with delight, firing another shard at Naga. The sorceress barely managed to roll out of the way, the shard tearing a chunk out of her cape as she dropped to a knee.

"Freeze Arrow!" Naga shouted, firing an icy shard of magic at the creature, who retaliated by firing another of his seemingly endless obsidian shards. The two projectiles collided in midair in an explosion of black glass and ice. Meanwhile, Lucia charged forward with her sword, only to be driven behind a pillar with Ghedrial fired another shard from his opposite hand in her direction, narrowly missing her. Naga then launched a Vibration Blast at the creature. This attack landed, but other than a hiss of anger from the creature there was no indication that her attack had any effect on the monster. She circled around and moved closer to Lucia, avoiding another shard on her way.

"What are we going to do now?" Lucia asked. She hated fighting magic users because they had so many ranged attacks, but at least when the chips were down she could use her sword to render most direct magic projectiles harmless. This time, however, that tactic only resulted in ringing ears and stinging hands.

"I don't think normal magic is going to work on him." Naga said. "I have a spell that might work, but I haven't used it in a long time." the sorceress explained. "I need you to distract him."

"I'll do my best." Lucia said, moving from behind the stone pillar and into the creature's line of sight. The creature snickered at her in its hissing rasp.

"So, come out of hiding? I'm starting to get bored!" Ghedrial shouted, lifting a hand and firing obsidian shards at Lucia. The swordswoman ran frantically across the room, ducking, diving and rolling to avoid the shards, each of which she felt missing her so narrowly that the magical roar of their essence and the wind whistling off of them was almost deafening. Meanwhile, Naga had waited until the creature turned to step out from behind the pillar.

"Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite..." Naga began, her eyes closed as she focused her energy into the spell. The act of calling out a spell's name as one cast it improved its power by allowing the caster to recall the words of power that gave the spell its strength, but verbally chanting them, and concentrating fully on the spell, improved that power even more. The distraction caught, Ghedrial suddenly turned his head back towards Naga.

"What do you think _you're_ doing?" he rasped out.

"Everlasting flame of blue, let the power hidden in my soul be called forth from the Infinite..." the sorceress continued, the blue aura that enveloped her hands suddenly growing very bright. The Mazoku's eyes suddenly widened as he turned quickly, bringing up a hand to fire a shard at the sorceress, but only a split second later realizing his attack would come too late.

"RA-TILT!" Naga cried out, the blue aura instantly forming into a coherent, solid beam as it fired directly into Ghedrial's form, the impact causing a bright blue flash that filled the great hall with shimmering light. Ghedrial could be heard emitting a loud howl of pain as Naga's spell, the most powerful shamanistic attack spell and one that attacked the target's spirit energy from which Mazoku were almost entirely made, tore through his spirit body, inflicting tremendous damage. In desperation, he began firing shards of obsidian in every direction as his form started to dissolve, but neither woman remained in the path of the deadly projectiles, and after a moment the attacks ceased as the creature evaporated into nothingness.

"Wow. What was that?" Lucia asked as she returned to the sorceress' side, still staring at the remains of the shattered vase. Naga brushed her hair aside and released a loud, drawn-out laugh in victory.

"Ohhhhhh ho, ho, ho, ho, ho._ That_, dear Lucia, is what happens when you cross Naga the Serpent!" she said triumphantly. Lucia peered at the shattered pottery for several more moments, surprised that such a being could be destroyed by a single spell short of a Dragon Slave.

"Ra-Tilt? I've never heard of it." Lucia said after a moment. Of course, she wasn't a master of magic by any means, but she'd heard about a fair share of spells in her travels. This one was new to her.

"The Ra-Tilt is the most powerful attack in shamanistic magic. It attacks the target's spirit directly. Since a true Mazoku is a being of pure spirit energy, it was only logical that such a spell would deal tremendous damage to him." Naga explained in a knowing tone. Lucia pondered her words for a moment, then smiled a little.

"Well, then! I'm glad you knew that spell!" Lucia said finally, sheathing her sword. "But you know, we have a bigger problem now." the swordswoman said slowly. Naga looked at her cryptically. "What are we going to do about Lord Bennet?"

"Hey, you're right! Hmmm." Naga said, thinking for a moment as the two of them returned downstairs. "Lord Korto said that it was Bennet that took the pledge, but since we killed the Mazoku he took the pledge with, that probably nullifies the whole agreement." Naga added.

"Do you think he knows Ghedrial is dead?" Lucia asked, wondering if there were some sort of link between the two that made the Mazoku's death obvious to Bennet.

"Well, I say we assume he doesn't and see if we can get our reward! What's the worst that could happen, he gets mad and kicks us out? He's probably harmless without his little pet monster!" Naga said gleefully as she pressed her fingertips together.

An hour later, the two women were once more on the road en route to Bennet's manor. Naga seemed reluctant to go near Korto's body, but Lucia had insisted that they give him a proper burial. After all, he did try to kill them, but he had also thought they were working to free the Mazoku and didn't know their true purpose until it had been too late. In the meantime, they had another two hours of walking to look forward to.

"So, when are you going to tell me about that sword of yours, hmm?" Naga said, breaking the silence after several minutes of walking. Lucia turned and glanced down at her sheathed sword, then shrugged a little.

"I don't know much about it, really. It was a gift from a golden dragon that I found shackled in some old ruins several years ago." Lucia explained. "All I know is that it's magical, and that the core is made of orihalcon." The swordswoman added.

"Orihalcon? Really?" Naga asked, honestly intrigued now. "I've never heard of making a sword from orihalcon."

"Well, it's only the core of the blade. Orihalcon by itself is too brittle to use for weapons or armor, so they normally use an alloy, but that weakens its anti-magic effects."

"So the core is orihalcon. What about the blade?"

"That's just normal steel enchanted with your typical weapon enchantments, and one that lets magic pass through it to the core. I _think_ that's what lets me reflect spells, but I'm honestly not totally sure." Lucia explained, wishing she knew more about the sword's true abilities.

"I bet that sword is priceless." Naga said, briefly trying to calculate how much selling such a thing would bring her, but brushing the notion aside. She remembered hearing something from passing rumors about Lina traveling with the Swordsman of Light and mused to herself over the interesting parallel between she and the younger sorceress.

"It is if you know what it's made of. You're actually the first person I've ever told about it, but I figure a famous traveler and adventurer like you wouldn't have any reason to steal it from me." Lucia explained, smiling up at the sorceress as the two rounded a bend in the road and came within view of Bennet's manor.

"Well, Lucia? How do you want to handle this one?" Naga asked, putting her hands on her hips and getting that usual look of confidence as she gazed at the manor. Lucia thought for a moment, then replied.

"Walk in and ask for our payment as if nothing's wrong?"

"What if he calls our bluff?"

Lucia let out a short giggle. "Then we _make_ him pay us what he owes us." The swordswoman said, grasping the hilt of her sword for emphasis. Naga let out a low laugh and nodded as both women headed off towards the manor. The distance between them and the structure only took a few minutes to cross, and as they neared the outer wall, something appeared amiss.

"Where are all the servants?" Lucia asked softly as the two walked into the manor's large courtyard. On their first visit, there had been several servants tending the gardens, and it was hard to imagine that there wouldn't be _someone_ out here working this time of day. "This place seems sort of deserted."

"So, you've returned!" a voice suddenly called out from the second level. Bennet stood on the upper ledge approaching the manor, looking down across the courtyard at the two women. "I have to admit, I hadn't expected _this_ level of success from the likes of you two!"

"You were a fool to underestimate me, Lord Bennet!" Naga replied. "The great Naga the Serpent cannot be-oof!" Naga suddenly grunted, interrupted as Lucia nudged her with her elbow. "Oww…what was that for?" she whined.

"I don't think he's buying it, Naga. This is a trap." Lucia replied lowly, spotting movement in the windows of the lower level leading into the courtyard. Almost as if on cue, three of the service doors opened and several beastmen exited, all armed with weapons varying from axes to swords to crudely-fashioned clubs. Naga took a look around, then laughed loudly.

"Ohhhhh ho-ho-ho-ho…so cheap that you can't even outfit your hired thugs with decent equipment, Bennet? So typical!" the sorceress called out as she surveyed the dozen or so attackers that began to try and flank the two. Lucia's sword was already out of its sheath as she carefully began watching the nearer of the group.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't be able to detect Ghedrial's destruction?" Bennet called out angrily. "You have no idea how much time and effort went into my plans, of which the Mazoku was only a small part!" the nobleman shouted, nearly foaming at the mouth he was so enraged. "But no matter. I will take care of you two myself!"

"I'll take care of the beastmen. You focus on Bennet." Lucia said softly to Naga. Naga glanced at Lucia's sword and realized that the swordswoman would not hold back, and there'd likely be a lot of blood, and she didn't want to be anywhere near the blood.

"Of course. He still owes us two-hundred gold pieces, after all." Naga said, smirking. "Raywing!" the sorceress called out, enacting a flight spell to carry her up to the 15-foot second level of the courtyard. Meanwhile, the beastmen closed in on Lucia and began their attack.

"You'll find me more difficult to deal with than you expect, dear woman." Bennet said, cocking his hand back. "Fireball!" the nobleman chanted, a burning ball of magical energy appearing in his hand before he hurled it at the sorceress. Naga dodged to the side as the ball sailed past her, exploding against a wall on the opposite side of the courtyard.

"Freeze arrow!" Naga called out, responding to Bennet's fireball attack with an icy shard of magic that caught the nobleman in the arm, encasing it in ice. With a growl, the man slammed his arm against the nearest wall, shattering the ice into pieces.

"Vibration Blast!" Bennet shouted, firing bolts of sonic energy at the sorceress which caught her in the leg and knocked her to the ground. Naga managed to roll aside as Bennet followed up with a Flare Arrow, narrowly avoiding being burned to a crisp.

Meanwhile, down on the ground level of the courtyard, several beastmen lie dead or dying on the ground as Lucia parried a flurry of attacks from two more. Individually, the beastmen were untrained thugs and lacked any battle discipline, but they made up for it with ferocity and numbers, and Lucia was starting to get tired despite still having half a dozen opponents left. It was times like this she wished she was more skilled with magic. There was also the issue of a nagging sensation in the back of her head, like a beast slamming its claws against the bars of its cage, howling to be released and only barely being contained. A sudden combination of attacks from one of the beastmen drove her backwards, her boot catching on the fallen body of another of her enemies, causing her to fall backwards, her sword knocked from her grip in the same flurry of attacks. As she looked up, the beastman raised his axe over his head in preparation of the final blow, and Lucia desperately brought her hands up, intending to catch the weapon on its downward stroke despite knowing that such a defense was extremely unlikely to work.

"Lucia!" Naga cried, a sideways glance informing her of the swordswoman's peril. She spun quickly, facing the swordswoman from across the courtyard. Lucia gritted her teeth and awaited the final blow, shocked by a flash of blue light and a rush of cold air as the beastman was suddenly encased in ice and frozen firmly in position. Lucia took the opportunity to roll out from under the frozen creature and retrieve her sword just as he fell forward, the icy statue shattering into hundreds of morbid fragments. Back on her feet and armed once more, Lucia moved to engage the few remaining beasts.

"Fireball!" Bennet shouted, taking advantage of Naga's distraction to launch another sphere of flame at the sorceress. Naga narrowly avoided the attack, but it struck the wall beside her, spraying her with stinging stone fragments and dazing her from the concussion. Naga shook the impact off and glared at Bennet.

"What a dirty trick! It'll take more than low-blows to bring down Naga…the…" the sorceress began taunting, only to stop when she realized that her arms stung. Looking down on a whim, her eyes widened with terror as she saw thick rivulets of blood running down her arms from the deeply-imbeded shards of stone, dripping off of her hands. Suddenly, she was paralyzed, the blood staining her gloved hands so familiar. Nightmarish visions of her mother lying dead on the floor, blood everywhere, on the floor, the walls, and even on her hands, flooded her mind. She stood rooted in place, trembling.

"Naga?" Lucia whispered softly, having taken down the last of the beastmen. She'd looked up to see how Naga was faring when she spotted the sorceress frozen in place.

"Now I've got you! Dil Brand!" Bennet shouted, the ground under Naga's feet exploding violently and sending her slamming hard into the stone wall behind her. Lucia cringed as she heard the thick 'thud' sound even from over fifty yards away, watching as the sorceress slumped into a limp heap out of her line of sight. Bennet cackled darkly. Then, something snapped in Lucia's mind.

The beast was free.

Everything seemed to turn red, the sky, the stone, even the grass in the courtyard, or at least that which wasn't stained with beastman blood. Blood….Bennet's blood. She needed to spill it. Lucia heard a deep-throated growl, human and yet so feral, only to realize that it was her own.

"Now, to take care of the other one." Bennet said, laughing down at the fallen sorceress before turning to face Lucia. He was shocked to notice that the girl was no longer in the courtyard, and moreso to see all of his beastmen lying dead on the ground. Oh well, that's what you get for hiring cheap help. At least they'd been a good diversion. Bennet was more shocked as he turned and saw the swordswoman sprinting up the stairs that circled the courtyard and rose to the upper level. She was moving fast, too. "Too easy" Bennet said with a grin as he lifted his hand. "Flare Arrow!"

Lucia didn't even notice the searing bolt as it homed in on her, slamming into her shoulder. Bennet grinned and laughed to himself, a thick, hearty sound that suddenly cut off with confusion as the swordswoman charged through the flames and kept coming, smoke whisping off of her singed shoulder as she moved towards him at alarming speed. Frantically, he fired another flaming arrow at the woman. This time, Lucia had anticipated the attack even through her rage and lifted her sword, deflecting the arrow into a nearby stone wall.

"That's impossible!" Bennet cried. He raised his hand once more. "Fireba-acccckkk!" he spat out. Bennet became aware of two sensations almost simultaneously as the woman closed the remaining distance between them. The was the sharp feeling of the woman's blade piercing through his expensive clothes and the flesh beneath them, and almost immediately followed by the sudden thudding impact of the weapon's crossguard as it slammed into his gut. Lucia had run the sword completely through him in a single, powerful charge, and her momentum was such that she continued forward several steps, carrying him solidly into a stone wall, the blade's tip burying itself several inches into the stone, effectively pinning him against it. "Im…possible!" Bennet gasped out again. Even in his dying moments, for he knew he wouldn't survive such a grievous wound, he found himself horrified by Lucia's expression. The girl's normally cheerful, innocent expression was twisted in a guise of absolute rage. Her teeth were clenched as she breathed out labored breaths through them, saliva dripping from her lips, her eyes wild like a berserk animal, though tempered with a focused, determined hatred that only a human could possess, as they bored into his own. Bennet let out a loud grunt of pain as Lucia suddenly twisted her sword, then uttered one command.

"Die…" she growled lowly, tightening her grip on her sword. "Digger Volt!" Lucia said lowly, unleasing a powerful electrical spell through her sword and into Bennet's pinned body. The nobleman released a guttural howl as lightning coursed over his form, his body jerking for several seconds before dropping limp, held up only by Lucia's blade. Lucia glared at his charred body for several more seconds before yanking her sword out of him, letting him fall unceremoniously to the ground.

"Lu…Lucia…". The weak voice pulled Lucia out of her enraged haze almost immediately, and she turned frantically back towards the source of the sound. Lucia rushed over to the fallen sorceress.

"Naga! Hold on, okay?" Lucia said, swallowing as she tried to assess the woman's injuries. She had several deep cuts from the explosion of stone that had hit her, as well as singes from the fireball itself. What was worse, however, was the blunt force trauma that had clearly left her with several broken bones. Her arm was twisted badly, and the bruising and lumps around her torso indicated at least two or three broken ribs. Weakly, Naga tried to enact a healing spell on herself, but the extend of her injuries prevented her from concentrating long enough to pull it off.

"I…can't…" Naga began. She was so short of breath, and it felt like even her hair hurt. Lucia shushed her. Lucia was kneeling over her, but Naga wasn't sure if Lucia even knew how to use any healing spells, and it was getting so hard to stay awake. Blurred blackness began to creep into the edges of her vision, which started to get blurry.

Naga let herself fall into the soothing, numbing darkness.


	6. Demons of the Past

**Author's Note: **This chapter begins digging into Naga's psyche. I've used my own take on how she acts to determine this, so please don't throw negative reviews at me if the contents consist of "I don't think that's why Naga does that" or "I doubt Naga would care about X and Y".

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Demons of the Past**

The first thing she was aware of was morning light streaming through a window. It was still early morning, and the sound of birds chirping outside slowly lulled her from a groggy slumber. Surprise number one was that, as she came to, she realized she was in an inn room she didn't recognize. There were two beds, though one of them barely looked slept in. The second surprise came as a bit more of a shock as she tried to sit up, only to gasp out as pain throbbed through her body, forcing her to slump back down onto the bed. Several seconds went by before the pain subsided. The door to the room opened and in walked a familiar blonde swordswoman, only now she was dressed in a simple tunic, trousers, and boots.

"You're awake!" Lucia said cheerfully, her voice sounding more than a little relieved.

"Lucia." Naga the Serpent groaned softly, her throat dry. "Can you get me some water?" she asked after a moment. The girl nodded and walked across the room, retrieving a pitcher of water from behind Naga's bed and pouring her a glass. Naga eagerly drank from the glass, forcing herself to tolerate the pain of sitting up for a brief moment before she slumped back down.

"I'm glad to see you're finally awake. I was starting to get worried." The blonde said, setting the glass aside and clasping her hands behind her back.

"How long was I out?" the sorceress asked softly, feeling vulnerable in this position and finding it impossible to call up her usual bravado.

"Three days." Lucia replied. "You were hurt really bad. I bound your wounds as best I could and I used healing spells to keep you alive, but I'm not very good with them, and you were hurt so badly that only a priestess would be able to heal you completely."

"Three days?" Naga asked, pondering for a moment. She could feel that she was naked under the blanket, and a glance under it revealed that most of her chest, as well as her arms, were tightly bandaged. In fact, the only parts of her that weren't encased in bandages were her breasts and legs, and she felt a brief blush come to her cheeks when she thought of Lucia dressing her wounds. Lucia seemed to catch the blush and responded with one of her own.

"Yeah, I had to undress you to bind the wounds. Your outfit seems to have survived undamaged." She said, glancing down nervously and scraping her foot back and forth across the floor.

Naga then looked over at the unused bed, her gaze slowly trailing to the chair beside her own bed. She realized that Lucia looked very tired and felt her throat tighten. "Lucia? Do you think I could have a moment to myself?" Naga asked softly. Lucia gave her a quick nod.

"Sure! I'll be right outside if you need anything." The girl replied, appearing much happier than she had in days now that Naga was awake. She excused herself and left the room, thus leaving Naga with her thoughts.

_She's been running herself ragged taking care of me. Why?_ Naga thought to herself. Ever since leaving home, she'd distanced herself from people. Even with Lina, it had been a business arrangement more than anything else. Sure, she had thought of Lina as a friend from time-to-time, like the time she brought Lina along to the Mipross Island hotsprings. However, Lina had been her rival first and foremost. Every action she took was to prove she was stronger than Lina, smarter than Lina, more capable than Lina.

_Would Lina have exausted herself nursing me back to health for three days?_ She wondered. Lina probably would have saved her, but she would have probably left her in the care of someone else, or would have just healed her enough to make sure she'd live, then left her to fend for herself. Lina wasn't cruel, but she wouldn't have allowed Naga to slow her down. Why would Lucia, whom she's only known for about a week, go through so much trouble for her?

_She's an opportunist, just like me, isn't she?_ Naga pondered. _But she cares about me. I'm arrogant, I always talk down to people, and I'm aloof. I do that for a __**reason**__!_ The sorceress thought to herself. Despite her attitude and her mannerisms, she'd found Lucia often laughing right along with her. Lucia never seemed to care about being called a "sidekick" and, in fact, sometimes even seemed proud of it. Naga had never seen that kind of humility in Lina, and unlike either herself or Lina, Lucia didn't seem to have a burning desire to gain more treasure or more station in life, but rather live life to its fullest for no other reason than that. It was the way she'd been once, a long time ago. Maybe it would be nice to actually _care_ about someone again.

_But what happens when she gets killed? Will you be able to handle that?_ Naga wondered, feeling another lump in her throat. _Could you deal with losing someone you care about again? Even if she is only a friend?_ Naga's internal dialogue was cut off as Lucia knocked and entered once more.

"Hey. I just wanted to tell you that I got us some food." The swordswoman said, pushing a small cart with a few plates of food on top of it. Naga felt her stomach growl at the smell of the food and her mouth started to water.

"Excellent, I'm starving! I haven't eaten in days, you know!" the sorceress said, a small sliver of her wit returning. She stared at the food for a moment, then watched as Lucia separated the plates, only setting half aside for herself as she did for Naga. "Say, Lucia, can I ask you something?"

"Sure!" the younger girl replied cheerfully.

"What happened, back at Bennet's manor?" the sorceress asked, sitting up as much as her injuries would let her.

"You got blown into a wall, that's what happened." Lucia replied, feeling a bit sheepish that the whole reason Naga had gotten hurt was because she was distracted by Lucia's own peril.

"Yeah, I know. I mean with you. When you killed Bennet. You were…different." The sorceress said. The memory was clouded by her injured state at the time, but she could remember Lucia's apparent suicide charge. As soon as she mentioned it, however, the smile left Lucia's face and she turned towards the window, stepping closer and looking out across the small town.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Lucia said solemnly.

"Well, it worked, didn't it? I mean, you took care of Bennet and saved me. What's wrong with that?"

"I lost control." The girl stated without looking away from the window. She took a deep breath, and Naga could sense that a story was about to follow. "Ever since I've been a child, when I get angry, I lose control. At first, I used to just hit people, or shove them. My parents just thought I had aggression issues and used to punish me for it."

"That's not that bad, Lucia. I used to pick on my little sister, and sometimes she'd go crazy and start throwing vases and eating utensils at me!!" Naga said, feeing a pang of longing and realizing that she missed her sister more than she thought.

"My parents thought it was just a bad temper, too." Lucia said, taking another breath to bolster her resolve. "I was always a tomboy growing up. While other girls were learning how to cook, or clean, or sew, I always wanted to run and play with the boys, throwing rocks, climbing trees, playing bandits and bounty hunters with wooden swords. My parents sort of accepted it, especially my father, but there were these two boys in town that constantly picked on me." Lucia explained. "One day, when I was thirteen, they started tormenting me, telling me that my parents hated me because I acted like a boy, telling me I'd never be able to fight or run like a boy, and then they started throwing rocks at me."

Naga nodded slowly as Lucia related her story. "So you lost control?" she surmised.

Lucia just nodded slowly. "I don't remember all of it. I remember charging at them, and I tackled one. Then there was a rock in my hand, and I was hitting him…and I just kept hitting him. Over and over." Lucia said. She was trembling a little now, and Naga was shocked to find herself wanting to walk over and give the girl a hug, restrained mostly by her inability to crawl out of bed that fast. "He died a few days after that. They never said it, but I could tell that my parents were very ashamed of my actions. I decided then to leave home so I wouldn't bring any more shame on them, and that's pretty much how I decided to become a traveling treasure hunter and that's how I came to be here." Lucia finally said, a wistful tone to her voice. Naga nodded slowly, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the air for a long moment.

"Is that why you're always so cheerful?" Naga asked the woman, feeling completely out of her element with all of this deep emotional conversation.

"Well, that's how I've always been, really." Lucia replied, forcing a bit of a smile. "I've learned that if I'm optimistic and try to focus on the positive side of everything, I don't get angry as often." Lucia explained, finally turning to face the sorceress. "Carefree, just like you."

_Great, now she's even looking up to you!._ The sorceress thought to herself, flashing Lucia a smirk. "Well, worrying adds wrinkles, after all." She said, laughing for a second before coughing and putting a hand against her side. "Oww…I think I might be able to heal myself a little bit now, Lucia." Naga said, which earned her a withering look from the swordswoman.

"Be careful. You haven't eaten much lately, so you don't want to burn up what little energy you have." The younger girl warned, sliding the cart with the plates of food on it towards the side of Naga's bed. The sorceress shoved all thoughts of conversation aside as she immediately started digging into the food. Lucia was right, she'd gone too long without a meal.

Four hours and numerous healing spells later, Naga was able to manage slowly walking around the room. She had removed the bandages and healed the surface injuries, though the deeper bruises would still take some time to recover from until she was at full magic capacity. Lucia had told Naga that the best way to get back on her feet was to find another job to do and immediately set out to hunt them down some work. Naga couldn't help but smile at the girl's endless enthusiasm.

_She acts like a child sometimes, but somehow it fits her personality._ The sorceress thought to herself. _She risked her life to save me, she nursed me back to health, and now she's helping me recover._ It wasn't that Naga couldn't comprehend things like compassion and caring, it's just that she had long since decided that caring about someone and becoming attached to them opened one up to terrible pain and tragedy.

_I remember hearing about father. Thank the Gods that was just a hoax._ Naga thought, recalling a time when she'd received word that her father had been assassinated. She had cried that night, and even considered visiting home, but had since attributed her ability to handle the news to the fact that she had always kept her distance from home, thus reducing her attachment to the family she only seldom contacted via letters. She later learned that her father had staged his assassination to reveal his enemies, much to her relief.

_Lina was a friend. Sort of._ She thought as she walked to the window and looked out into the street. Families and friends walked about the marketplace in the midday sun, talking, laughing, playing, and everything else that friends and families did together. Naga had spent a long time convincing herself that these were all trivial things that she was above, but deep down she'd always known that she was fooling herself. Even the Great Naga the Serpent could use real companionship from time to time.

"I got something!" Lucia called out suddenly as she pushed the door open. Naga turned quickly, snapping out of her contemplation. Lucia stopped and looked at the sorceress curiously. "You're dressed already?"

"Well of course! You didn't honestly believe that anything short of complete destruction would keep _me_ down for that long, did you?" Naga said with a laugh. "Now, what sort of job did you find?"

"Well, it's not a 'job' technically, but it _is_ something that could definitely make us a good deal of money, _and_ we might even uncover a valuable artifact in the process!" Lucia said excitedly, and the sorceress swore she'd be able to see the gleam in Lucia's eyes even if it had been pitch black in the room.

"Oooh, what? What is it?" Naga said, Lucia's excitement spreading to her now. Lucia produced a rolled up paper from her cloak and spread it out on the now vacant serving tray to reveal a map of the region.

"Right here." The swordswoman said, pointing to a spot in the woods. "There's some old ruins that were buried in an earthquake. I've talked to several people, and I had to use a little gold to 'grease the wheels', but from what I've learned the place is guarded by a bunch of zombies and ghosts and used to be a vault for a palace that once set there." Lucia explained.

"Well, if it was a palace then it's definitely going to have gold and gems unless it's been looted already." Naga said, carefully mulling over Lucia's description, though being cooped up in the room was making her so stir crazy she'd jump at the chance to explore anything at this point.

"We won't know until we check it out, though!" Lucia said enthusiastically. Unlike Naga, who preferred doing bounty work, the swordswoman was a treasure hunter, and half the fun for her was just _looking_ for stuff, regardless of whether she found it or not. "The place is about two days north of here. We can set out as soon as you're healed up."

"Please, Lucia. I'm more than capable of handling a little travel!" Naga said. "I can keep casting healing spells on myself periodically until I'm good as new, don't worry." The sorceress added as Lucia started to look a bit torn. This seemed to satisfy the younger woman's concerns.

"Well, then! Get your things together and we can set off in the next hour."


	7. Flashy Revelations

**Chapter 7 – Flashy Revelations**

Lucia idly picked at the remaining paper wrapper on the little bit of sausage she had left as she and the sorceress, Naga the Serpent, casually walked down the dusty road. The two of them had been on the road for most of the day, and the sun had begun to dip down near the horizon, casting the forest in a rich orange glow. Tearing a piece of sausage off of the small chunk with her teeth, she looked over at Naga. The sorceress had a slight flush to her cheeks, likely due to the fact that she'd spent the past hour taking nips from a rapidly diminishing bottle of wine. As the last sliver of golden light faded behind the distant mountains, the swordswoman tossed the paper wrapping aside.

"We should find a place to set up camp. We're not going to make it to any inns before nightfall." Lucia said. Naga glanced around for a bit before suddenly turning off of the road to find a clear, secluded location. Lucia followed along for a few minutes until the two of them came to a small clearing buried in a thick copse of trees, where the two of them began to unpack their traveling gear.

"You go collect the firewood while I get the pit ready. It's probably going to get cold tonight." The sorceress offered. Lucia gave a short nod and walked off into the woods. Naga watched her until she was out of sight, then went to work collecting stones to prepare a suitable fire pit.

_She seems different._ Lucia thought to herself as she searched for the right pieces of wood that would sustain a good fire. _She's acting much more calm than before the accident. I hope she didn't hurt her head or something._ The swordswoman considered, picking up a few thick, stray logs. She had noticed that Naga's personality had mellowed out considerably, especially when the two of them were not in public. She'd already come under the assumption that most of the sorceress' bravado and arrogance was an act she used, but she still couldn't pinpoint why the woman insisted on putting forth such an image for herself. She'd decided to chalk it up to intimidation.

_That must be it. She acts confident and arrogant and people second-guess crossing her, and when you're a sorceress like she is, you can back up most of that confidence._ She mused as she picked up another few logs, using her foot and some leverage to snap one of them into two more easily carried pieces. _Maybe she's not acting that way towards me alone because she trusts me now. I bet she was the same way with Lina once they became friends, too._

"There you are. I was wondering what took you so long." Naga said as Lucia reappeared from the quickly darkening forest. She was carrying an armload of logs, at least enough for an hour of fire and several more hours of warm embers. Naga had since completed the fire pit and stocked it with kindling, so Lucia dumped the logs beside the pit.

"There were plenty of logs out there, but I had to stick to finding ones that would be easier to carry." Lucia replied. "Glad to see you've got experience sleeping under the stars." She added, motioning towards the pit.

"When you spend as much time traveling as I do, you can't always be bothered to wait until you reach an inn or tavern. You have to improvise." Naga stated. She preferred a nice warm bed in an extravagant inn, of course, but her years of camping out had given her time to grow accustomed to roughing it. The alcohol helped, too. In fact, Lucia gave her a sour look as she tipped her head back and drained the rest of her wine bottle, but merely shook her head as Naga made eye contact with her, turning her gaze towards the pit and using a weak version of the Burst Rondo spell to ignite the tinder.

Naga stretched her arms a bit. "Are you going to sleep yet?" the sorceress asked, not feeling sleepy yet and hoping that the swordswoman might stay up to keep her company. Lina had never been much for conversation, and while the two of them often agreed when it came to treasure, thrashing bandits, or discussing food, she often found that they seldom had much else to talk about.

"Not yet. I'm still wide awake, really." Lucia replied, poking the slowly growing fire with a small stick. She sighed a little and looked up at the sorceress across the fire. "Where do you come from, Naga?" the swordswoman asked after a brief pause. Her question caused the sorceress to tense for a brief moment, but she recovered quickly.

"I don't call anywhere 'home' really. I prefer to call the entire world my home." The sorceress replied. "It means I'm not tied down, not rooted to one place. Carefree."

"Okay, then. Where _did_ you come from? Where did you grow up?" Lucia asked. She feared she might be prying a bit, but figured that since the two of them were traveling companions, they might as well get to know one another better.

"Saillune." Naga said after a moment, biting her lip.

"The White Magic City?" Lucia asked, perplexed. "Wow. That explains how you're so good with magic, but that _does_ explain a few things!" the younger girl said with a smile. Naga eyed her suspiciously.

"What does it explain, exactly?"

"Your personality! I've been to Saillune once before. It's a beautiful place, but very expensive! I mean, it all makes sense now!" Lucia said, her tone growing more excited.

"It…it does?" Naga stammered, afraid of where the conversation was heading.

"Yes! The expensive restaurants, the fancy clothiers, the extravagant theatres. I bet you came from a wealthy family! Like merchants or something, right?" the swordswoman asked, smiling infectiously.

"Y-yes! Wow, Lucia, I'm impressed!" Naga said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I guess my elegance and refined taste _is_ pretty difficult to miss."

"There is one thing that bugs me, though." Lucia said, sounding a little confused.

"What's that?" the sorceress asked.

"Well, I didn't think attack magic was really approved of in Saillune. I'm a little surprised that someone that grew up there is so proficient with it." Lucia replied. Naga's first response was one of her trademark laughs.

"That's why I left, Lucia. I needed to learn more than Saillune could teach me, and of course, you can't smash bandits with healing spells, you know." The sorceress replied, grinning widely.

"You're right." Lucia replied with a short giggle. Naga's grin faded a little as she continued examining Lucia for a long moment.

"Thank you, Lucia." Naga said, the arrogant tone fading, replaced by a more serious, softer one.

"Huh? For what?" Lucia replied.

"Healing me. Taking care of me for those past three days. Nobody has ever…done anything like that for me. Not since I left home." Naga said, once more feeling completely out of her element but deciding to go with her feelings for the moment. Again, the alcohol helped.

"Oh, well. I…sort of felt responsible, since you got hurt saving me and all." Lucia replied, blushing a little bit. "Besides, that's what friends do for each other, right?" she added cheerfully, causing the sorceress to rather quickly snap her gaze up to meet Lucia's.

"Friends? You consider me your friend?" Naga asked. The word felt almost foreign to her when spoken in such a serious context.

"Well, why not? We get along, we both love adventure, we both like to hunt treasure, and we both enjoy teaching bandits a lesson!" Lucia said, laughing happily. Naga joined in for a moment before she grinned at Lucia again.

"Except I didn't strip _you_ naked!" the sorceress replied teasingly, the alcohol in her system dulling what little sense of discretion she might otherwise have.

"H-hey! I had to bandage you, remember?" Lucia stammered, blushing more deeply now, both at Naga's statement as well as the recalled memory. She remembered that even through the wounds and the bruises that the sorceress had an incredible body, and only her dedication towards keeping the woman alive had prevented it from distracting her at the time.

"Did you get a good look, then?" Naga asked, a slight purr in her voice. Lucia felt her heart flip in her chest.

_Holy crap, she's flirting with me._ Lucia realized, working to swallow a lump in her throat. "I…I was concentrating on making sure you lived. My intent wasn't to ogle you!" she said quickly.

"Oh, that's right." Naga said with mock realization. "Well, here you go then." The sorceress said, standing up and moving around the fire a bit to sit in front of Lucia, the angle still allowing the sorceress' body to be illuminated by the flames. Before Lucia could even fathom what would happen next, the sorceress reached up and pulled the two leather cups of her outfit down, her full breasts spilling out of it. Lucia's mouth opened widely as she tried to think of something to say, her lips moving for several moments without any words coming out before Naga mercifully tucked her endowments back into their respective confinements. The shocked stare on Lucia's face alone had been worth it.

"N-Naga! Wh-what was that supposed to be?!" Lucia stammered, her face so red that the orange firelight made it look almost maroon colored.

"What?" Naga asked innocently. "I thought you might want a peek when I wasn't on the brink of death. Besides, the look on your face was priceless!" the woman said, laughing.

"I didn't expect you to just _flash_ me like that!" Lucia replied in exasperation, still trying to compose herself.

"True, I wouldn't normally do that, but you stared the whole time, you know." Naga said in a low, teasing voice. "I'd think if you didn't _want_ to see them, you'd have looked away." Lucia's embarrassment only deepened at Naga's teasing words.

"Y-yeah, well, I…" she started, then sighed a little. "Can you blame me?" she finally conceded. She found herself wondering how Naga would respond to that, expecting more teasing but being pleasantly surprised by the response.

"No, I can't. I just think you owe me one, now." Naga said. Lucia looked at her curiously for a moment before the sorceress' meaning hit home, her eyes widening.

"Wh-what?! B-but, I…I mean, I'm not…mine aren't nearly that impressive!" Lucia stammered, the focus of her embarrassment shifting from Naga's brazen exhibitionism to a sudden feeling of inadequacy.

"Mmm, quantity isn't quality, Lucia, although I'm lucky to have been blessed with both." The sorceress said smugly, the alcohol now in full swing. While Naga would never have admitted it to Lina, she'd always considered the smaller sorceress' figure to be uniquely attractive as well, and had developed a slight crush on her former traveling companion, though the attraction had always been purely physical in nature.

"Still. I…" Lucia started, but Naga held up a finger to quiet her.

"It's okay, Lucia. I've had a bit too much to drink, so maybe it's better if I go to sleep before I do something I'll _really_ regret." The sorceress said with a short laugh, moving back to her respective side of the fire. "Do you mind taking first watch? I'm not quite up to keeping an eye out right now."

"N-no! No, I can do it, sure." Lucia mumbled, standing up quickly as she still fought to maintain her composure. The swordswoman excused herself as Naga laid out her sleeping bag and slipped into it, still casting wry glances at the faltering woman as she took to patrolling the outer perimeter of the small camp spot.

_That was fun._ Naga thought to herself as she started to drift off to sleep. _She's gonna be fun to have around._

"Sheesh, _that_ was awkward!" Lucia whispered to herself once she'd gotten some distance from the camp. She blamed the alcohol mostly, though she wasn't naïve enough not to realize that part of that was Naga. What she wondered was if the sorceress had taken a liking to her, or if she'd just been teasing her. Either way, she'd gotten an eyeful, that was sure, and even if it never did develop beyond friendship, at least there'd be _that_ memory. Lucia was relieved to see that the sorceress seemed happy that she was considered a friend, hinting that there was perhaps more to her than a pretty face and a nice figure. Of course, Lucia had already suspected such nearly a week ago.

The next morning, Lucia awoke to find that Naga had already collected most of their equipment and put the fire out. She yawned widely and sat up, surveying the campsite as Naga finished rolling her sleeping bag up. A few wisps of smoke still rose from the blackened fire pit, and the swordswoman could faintly smell cooked fish in the air.

"You had breakfast without me?" Lucia asked curiously, looking over at the sorceress as she blinked the sleep from her eyes, yawning yet again.

"I didn't want to wake you. Traveling with Lina taught me that waking someone up before they're ready can get you blasted with a fireball." Naga replied. "Besides, I assumed the smell of the fish would have done the trick."

Lucia rubbed her eyes and finally pulled herself from her sleeping bag. "Yeah, well I was having a nice dream." She said sleepily as she rolled her bag into a tight coil and wrapped the retaining bands around it firmly.

"I bet you did." The sorceress replied wryly, casting a knowing look at the younger girl. Lucia suddenly blushed at the implication.

"Not about _that!_" Lucia said indignantly. "I was dreaming about food, actually. Did you even leave me any fish?" the blonde asked, looking around for leftovers as she tied the rolled bag to her back.

"But I was hungry!" the sorceress whined. "I'm still recovering my strength! I almost died, I deserve to have a little more food as compensation."

"Fine, fine, but you're paying the tab the next time we get to a tavern." Lucia replied, turning and walking back towards the road with Naga trailing close behind.

"Hey, wait! I eat a little extra cooked fish out in the woods and you make me pay for a full meal at a tavern! That's not fair, Lucia!" the sorceress complained as she hurried to catch up to Lucia. The shorter girl just looked up at her with a cheery smile and said nothing.

"Ugh, you're sneaky." Naga said with a pout. "So, does that map tell us when we're going to see civilization again?"

"There's a small village up the road. We should be able to get there before nightfall if we don't stop anywhere." Lucia replied.

"I'll pay for your meal, but remember that you still owe me." The sorceress replied, laughing as she once more coaxed a blush and an embarrassed expression from the swordswoman.


	8. Bloody Secrets

**Chapter 8 – Bloody Secrets**

"What the hell do you _mean_ there's no alcohol in town?!" the tall, scantly-clad sorceress screamed at the innkeeper, causing several of the nearby patrons to turn with a start and causing the woman's shorter blonde-haired companion to raise an inquisitive brow. It had been dusk by the time the two women had reached the small town of Lonebury, though the place was so small it could hardly qualify as anything more than a village. The streets were unpaved and it couldn't have more than a few hundred residents. Still, they had an inn with a downstairs tavern, and until a few brief moments ago, that had been enough for both of them.

"Naga, it's okay. We already ate, let's just go up to our room." Lucia, the blonde swordswoman, said in an attempt to calm her traveling companion who for some reason seemed on the edge of panic. The sorceress turned to face Lucia.

"I come to a tavern expecting a filling meal and some fine wine or ale to go along with it! Not only is this particular inn out of alcohol, but now he says the entire town is dry! This is absolutely unacceptable! Customers, especially ones of _my_ social graces, should not be treated in this manner! It's barbaric!" the sorceress ranted on, folding her arms across her ample bosom. "We're lucky we even managed a single room in a backwoods town like this."

"If they're out, they're out. Making a scene isn't going to cause alcohol to magically appear out of thin air, you know." Lucia retorted with a sigh, wondering why it was so blasted important to the haughty sorceress. Naga gave her a withering look.

"Someone should make a spell for that." The sorceress whined, appearing resigned to her fate. She turned back to the innkeeper. "Fine, old man. If you have no alcohol, we should get a discount on the room. It's the least you could do for such disappointing service, you know." The innkeeper blinked a few times, but could tell that the tall sorceress was growing irate and had no desire to cross her _or_ allow her bickering to drive away any more of his customers.

"Alright, young lady. I'll give you the room for half price, just please stop yelling and causing a scene!" he said frantically, waving his hands at the both of them to shoo them towards the stairs. Lucia let out a giggle and grabbed Naga's hand, practically dragging the still-fuming sorceress upstairs. She pulled the sorceress into the double-bed room and closed the door behind them.

"Damn! I bet I could have talked him into a free meal too!" Naga said after the door was closed, still looking agitated. Lucia watched her for a moment as she unbuckled her sword belt and placed the weapon in the corner by her bed.

"Would you calm down? At least they had a room left. We could have been forced to camp out again." The swordswoman said calmly. "At least we got a nice room and a good meal."

"That I paid for! I wouldn't have paid for it if I'd known we'd have absolutely nothing to drink!" the sorceress retorted.

"We had water." The blonde replied. "Besides, you know I don't usually drink anyway." She added. Alcohol and Lucia rarely got along. Lucia, as fate would have it, was what was commonly referred to as an 'angry drunk', and mixed with her tendency to go berserk led to very bad things happening when she had too much.

"Well I do, so there!" Naga countered maturely, folding her arms and pouting a little. Lucia shook her head and let out another little giggle at the sorceress' somewhat comical response as she started slipping out of her armor. Curious, the sorceress moved over to the window while continuing to steal glances over her shoulder at the disrobing woman. _Hey, she owes me anyway._ Naga thought to herself as she examined Lucia's form. The shorter girl was in really good shape. Athletic but still sporting very feminine curves, Lucia's body showed that she engaged in physical activity regularly. She wasn't as thin by relative terms as Naga, her form slightly stockier due to her height, but she was still in excellent condition, and the sorceress found she was blushing in spite of herself, even moreso as Lucia pulled her pajama top over her head and glanced over, catching Naga's voyeurism red-handed.

"No peeking." Lucia said playfully as she pulled her pajama bottoms up. Naga made a face at her.

"You owed me, remember?" the sorceress replied, smirking. Lucia blushed a little before replying.

"Does this mean we're even?"

"For now." The sorceress said, thankful that the brief exchange had calmed her nerves somewhat. Lucia nodded and slipped into bed, intent on getting an early start so they could use the daylight to find the ruins. She knew they were probably heavily concealed by decades of disuse, and preferred to approach in the daylight where undead like zombies and ghosts rarely ventured. While Lucia silently contemplated the morning journey, Naga slipped into her own sleeping clothes and climbed into her respective bed, staring at the rising moon out the window for several moments before closing her eyes, hoping to doze off quickly.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lucia asked, pulling the sorceress closer to herself as the two of them overlooked the vast, green valley beneath their isolated stone perch. Lucia reveled in the soft embrace of her companion.

"I never take time to just enjoy things. Maybe I should do this stuff more often." The sorceress replied, looking down at her young partner and brushing a lock of blonde hair from her face, pulling a giggle from the girl.

"You'll find there's a lot to life if you sit back and watch for it, Naga. Maybe beautiful things." The blonde replied, sighing again. "There's something I want to ask you."

"Oh? What's that?" Naga asked, taking Lucia's hand in her own. She looked down into Lucia's sky blue eyes, the morning sun dancing off of their crystal clearness as the girl's own gaze met hers.

"Do you love me? I mean, really?" Lucia asked, giving the sorceress' hand a squeeze. The sorceress tilted her head curiously, then replied.

"No." she replied, though her voice sounded…strange.

"Huh?" Lucia asked, looking a bit hurt.

"No. Stop." Naga said again. Lucia blinked.

"Stop? Stop what?" Lucia said, reaching for Naga's hand, which had suddenly drifted away. "Naga, stop-"

"-what?" Lucia said, her eyes suddenly open and greeted to a dark room, illuminated only by a shaft of moonlight peeking through the window. She took a moment to get her bearings, peering around in the darkness as her bleary eyes recovered from sleep. "A dream…", she whispered finally.

"Stop, don't do it…" Lucia heard, looking across the room. In the adjacent bed, Naga tossed and turned fitfully, and from her vantage point Lucia could see the thin sheen of sweat on the sorceress' brow as it reflected the moonlight. She realized the woman was having a bad dream.

"Naga?" Lucia asked gently. She'd heard somewhere that it was dangerous to wake someone out of a nightmare suddenly. Naga didn't respond to her voice, though her nightmare continued to grow more intense.

"Mama!" Naga cried softly. "Mama, look out!" Lucia felt a lump form in her throat, and had a sinking, dreaded suspicion that the woman's nightmare was firmly rooted in past events and not merely an ordinary nightmare, but a flashback to a traumatic event. Lucia stood and moved over beside Naga's bed.

"Naga, wake up. It's just a bad dream." Lucia said softly, again not wanting to pull Naga out of the dream with a start.

"Oh, Goddess. The blood…the blood….so much blood…" Naga started mumbling. She wasn't screaming anymore, but the eerie tone in her voice carried an even deeper sense of urgency, one approaching sheer panic.

"Naga!" Lucia called out more loudly, now realizing she needed to wake the woman up before the nightmare got too bad. She reached out to touch Naga's arm when the sorceress suddenly grabbed Lucia's hand, her eyes snapping open but no recognition or cognizance in them. They locked onto the blonde, but it was like she was looking _through_ her.

"Vibration Blast!" Naga cried, the spell issuing from her other hand and slamming firmly into Lucia's midsection, launching the girl across the room to slam into the wardrobe on the other side where she fell to the floor in a heap. Naga immediately sat up, frantically looking around the room as the visions from the nightmare started to fade, replaced by stark reality. After she started collecting herself, she vaguely recalled Lucia's voice through the haze and looked across the room at the dark shape on the floor. "Oh, no!"

"Unnhhh…" Lucia groaned as she slowly pushed herself up off the floor. She was a little banged up, but it wasn't anything serious. She considered herself lucky Naga had chosen that spell or she might have ended up in flames or encased in a block of ice. Naga quickly hurried over to her, the luminescent orb from a light spell hovering in her hand.

"Lucia! What happened? What were you doing by my bed?" Naga asked, still unsure of exactly what had transpired. Lucia accepted Naga's hand as the sorceress helped her to her feet before returning to her bed and plopping down on it. Lucia sat on her own bed across from the woman.

"You were having a nightmare. I tried to wake you up and you blasted me across the room." Lucia related, rubbing her head where she was sure she was going to have a nasty bruise for the next few days. Naga looked sheepish at the discovery.

"Sorry, I…" she started, then sighed, unsure of what to tell Lucia. The blonde sensed her apprehension.

"Want to tell me about it?" Lucia asked softly, feeling that Naga was sitting on top of a lot of inner turmoil and letting some of it out might be healthy for her. The sorceress sat still for a moment, then shook her head.

"I'd rather just go back to sleep." She replied, laying back on her bed and staring at the ceiling. Lucia heaved a sigh of disappointment, but knew better than to try and force anything out of her. She'd have to wait until she was ready.

"Goodnight." Lucia replied simply, crawling back under her own blankets as the sorceress laid there staring at the dimly lit ceiling. Several minutes went by, the gears in her head turning so fast she feared they might wake Lucia up. Several more minutes went by after that.

"I lied to you." Naga said to the silent room, her gaze fixed firmly on one of the support beams above her. She heard Lucia move to face her, but didn't wait for a verbal response. "I wasn't born in a merchant family. I was born to nobility. My father is Prince Philionel El Di Saillune." Naga said slowly, her fists clenching and relaxing as she, for the first time since leaving her home in the White Magic City, revealed her true lineage to another person. Lucia gave no verbal indication, wanting to remain silent and allow Naga to speak.

"When I was fourteen, my father's enemies decided that the best way to get to him was to send him a message. They decided that the format of this message would be killing me, his eldest daughter." Naga said, her voice steady, though Lucia could detect a slight quiver in it that told her the sorceress was only barely holding herself together. "I remember hearing my mother scream, so I came running to see what the problem was." Naga said, her voice now trembling more noticeably, and Lucia could feel her own eyes starting to tear up as she realized where the story was going.

"I came into her room just in time to see him cut her throat. I remember he had these dark eyes. I think they were brown, but at the time they looked pitch black." The sorceress said in a faint whisper. "He had these….metal wires. That was how he killed his victims. Sometimes he'd impale them, other times he'd use them to garrote someone." Naga explained, desperately trying to maintain control. "There was this spell, Chaos String, that my mother developed to aid in construction. I used it on _him_." Naga said, a hint of anger coming into her voice as she recalled the moment. "I used it to take control of those steel wires of his, and I killed him." She spat, her body tense for several seconds before she relaxed. "There was so much blood everywhere. On the floor, on my mother, on me. It was everywhere…s-so much…" the sorceress said, finally losing control as she broke down into fevered sobs.

She jerked noticeably as Lucia was suddenly at her side, and opened her eyes to look up at the woman through blurry tears. She couldn't see the blonde's own teary eyes, but she felt it when Lucia leaned down and embraced her, and she submitted to the embrace, returning it in kind. The swordswoman held her sorceress traveling companion for several minutes as Naga's body was wracked with sobs, over a decade of repressed memories and painful turmoil bubbling to the surface all at once. Lucia weathered it, sniffling and sobbing a bit herself but mostly feeling grateful that she could be there for the woman. After a few more moments, the sorceress managed to collect herself and, with a sniffle, sat back and looked Lucia in the eye.

"Is that why you left home? To escape the memories?" Lucia asked softly, her hands still resting on the other woman's shoulders. Naga gave a short nod and swallowed, causing her chest to jump slightly.

"I always felt like it was my fault. The assassin had been after me, and he got my mother instead. If I had been there…"

"If you had been there, he probably would have killed you instead, Naga. You caught him by surprise. Your mother would have been heartbroken if he'd succeeded, don't you think?" Lucia replied, understanding how guilt could drive a person mad if they dwelled on it.

"That's why I started learning black magic. I knew that if I got strong enough, I would be able to protect the people I love, and they wouldn't be in danger anymore." Naga said, some of the strength returning to her voice as she thought about the vindication she'd been seeking since she left home that first night. "When I heard about Lina Inverse and how she was rumored to be the most powerful sorceress in the world, I decided that I would become her rival, learn everything she knew, and strive to be more powerful than her. I figured with that kind of power, nobody would dare cross the royal family of Saillune ever again." The sorceress explained, her shoulders drooping.

"Well, there you go then! You're Lina Inverse's Greatest and Foremost Rival, right? Who better than you to protect your loved ones?" Lucia offered, smiling at the woman. Naga was able to offer a weak smile back at the blonde before shaking her head.

"I'll never be as powerful as Lina is, Lucia."

"But you said-"

"I put on a show, that's all. I boast, I talk big, but it's always Lina that gets the credit. Every time we accomplish anything, it's always Lina's Dragon Slave. She's the heroine…I'm just…the sidekick." Naga said, feeling a wave of depression fall over her. They were words she'd occasionally considered but never dared speak out loud. Much of her confidence came from the idea that she could one day reach Lina's level, yet the younger sorceress had always shown herself to be stronger and more focused. Lucia took Naga's hand in her own and looked the woman in the eye.

"You're _my_ heroine, and I'm _your_ sidekick, remember?" the girl offered, smiling warmly at the sorceress. Naga looked into Lucia's eyes for a long moment before she felt emotion wash over her and suddenly leaned forward, pressing her lips to Lucia's. The swordwoman's eyes widened for a second in surprise before she closed them and returned the kiss, one hand moving up to run fingers through dark hair while the other remained gently planted on the woman's shoulder. The kiss lasted for several seconds.

"Lucia…" Naga said, but found she couldn't come up with any words to match the moment. The two women stared at each other for several more seconds before Lucia smiled.

"I think we should get some sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow or we won't make it to the ruins before nightfall." The swordswoman said, leaning back and watching the still-confused sorceress as she tried to sort out her feelings. Naga just offered a numb nod and lay back in her bed, pulling the covers up around her shoulders and turning towards the windows, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

An hour later, Naga still lie in bed, wide awake. _I can't do this. I can't DO THIS._ She screamed at herself in her head. The sorceress propped herself up on her elbows and looked over at Lucia, seeing that the swordswoman was deeply asleep, a peaceful smile on her face. She felt a pang of guilt as she slid out of bed and began to get dressed as quietly as she could. She gathered her traveling equipment, then gave one last look over at the sleeping girl and sighed longingly. _One day, I'll be ready for this._ She thought to herself. _I just can't take the risk. Not yet._ With a heavy heart, the sorceress silently opened the door to the room and slipped out into the night.


	9. Voices

**Chapter 9 – Voices**

Naga breathed a sigh as she trudged down the road, the sun only having risen above the horizon a mere hour prior. The cool breeze bit into the sorceress's exposed flesh, but years of traveling through multiple climates in skimpy clothing had built up a considerable tolerance for the weather. Her nose picked up the faint scent of freshly cut wood from the north, hinting that there was likely active woodcutting going on in the area, and where there was woodcutting, there was likely a town. The silence and lack of stimulation allowed for the sorceress to begin an internal dialogue with herself.

_Why did you run?_ She asked herself simply. She'd been afraid, yet hadn't even slowed to ask herself why.

_She knows everything now. Who I am, where I'm from. My family is in danger again!_ Her paranoid side replied, recalling that she had been the target for her mother's killer, and her mother would have lived had a mistake of identity not transpired.

_Don't be ridiculous. Lucia's not an assassin._ Her rational voice countered. _She's your friend._

_Maybe she's trying to get close to me so she can get to my family._ The fearful voice tried once more.

_She didn't even __**know**__ who you were until last night! Now you're just making excuses._ Her rational voice replied. Her conscious mind tried to keep busy, watching a small rabbit dart into some bushes at her approach. Somewhere in the distance, she could make out the faint roar of a waterfall, and briefly considered stopping to bathe before deciding it was still too cold.

_Why are you so afraid of letting people in?_ The voice continued. _You are Naga the Serpent, you are beautiful, talented, and powerful. Fat lot of good that does in fighting off lonliness._

_I am also Gracia Ul Naga Saillune, and now __**she **__knows it! How can she respect me if she thinks I've been living a lie this whole time?_ She countered, recalling that Lucia was the only one she'd ever told about her past and her identity. Even Lina had been kept from that knowledge, mostly because the two women never talked about their past much, and Lina had never particularly cared to discuss Naga anyway.

_I bet she loves you._ The voice said, causing the sorceress to stop in her tracks. Her cape gently drifted around her calves, softly tickling the flesh there as the cool morning breeze caused the fabric to dance lazily. She contemplated the gravity of her own thoughts for a moment before slowly resuming her leisurely pace.

_She doesn't even know me._ Naga replied slowly to the inner voice. She'd only known Lucia for a week or so until last night, and had a very hard time believing in the fairy-tale of love at first sight.

_Do you really think she needs to learn every single aspect of your personality before making that decision? How much have you let your carefree, arrogant guise slip since you met her?_ The voice replied.

_It's a lot harder to act high and mighty towards someone that so cheerfully accepts it._ The sorceress conceded. _I'm so used to people being intimidated by me that it's strange to deal with someone who so readily accepts me._

_Exactly. She accepts you no matter who you are, Naga __**or**__ Gracia._ The voice said, causing Naga to bite her lip as she realized it was right. Lucia hadn't shied away, hadn't changed in the slightest when Naga had revealed her identity. She was willing to bet that the girl wouldn't have even been mad about not telling her who she'd been.

_Lina would have killed me for taking a share of the treasure if she'd known I was royalty._ Naga admitted.

_How do you think Lucia's going to feel when she realizes you're gone?_ The voice asked, and Naga realized that Lucia was probably already awake by now. _She'll probably be heartbroken because you abandoned her like that._

Naga doubted to herself that Lucia would be _that_ focused on her own feelings, but then the realization of what she'd done hit her like a Dragon Slave.

_I did to her what Lina used to do to me!!_ She shouted at herself, once more coming to a stop in the road. She had lost count of the number of times Lina had left her in the middle of the night to go off by herself. Lina's motives had been different, though. The younger sorceress had been motivated by greed and not wanting to share a portion of her next haul.

_Yes, but were your motives any less selfish? You did it to save yourself from potential heartbreak down the line._ The increasingly annoying, and equally increasingly correct, voice nagged at her once more. _Remember how you felt when Lina had left you?_

_Yeah, I was angry! She kept trying to get one step ahead of me! She…_Naga started to try and rationalize with her rational side, finding that much more difficult than one might expect. That wasn't right, the truth was she'd felt abandoned and discarded. She was always the one that had to track Lina down again to join up with her. It had always been her initiative in seeking Lina out. Lina never came to her for help, never came to her for partnership, it was always the other way around. She wondered if Lucia felt the same way she often did.

"She didn't deserve that." Naga said aloud, once more picking up her pace. She looked over her shoulder, back towards the town, and wondered if she could make it back before Lucia left. Then she wondered what it was she'd tell her when she got there. No, that's a lie, she wouldn't have to explain. Lucia would just nod, giggle, and accept whatever she said, even if it made no sense. She would understand exactly why Naga had run, and wouldn't hold it against her. She silently wondered what it would be like to be so openly forgiving.

"Lookie here, boys. Pretty little thing like this just walking right into our hands." A gruff voice called out, causing Naga to look up and realize she had half-a-dozen bandits surrounding her. She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed them until now.

"Sorry, boys, but I'm really in no mood to play, so if you could just scamper along and consider yourselves lucky I let you, it would save you a lot of trouble." She said, placing her hands on her hips and locking her confident gaze on the lead bandit. Several of the men surrounding her laughed before the lead took a step forward.

"Guess we're just not that lucky, is we?" he stated, laughing once again. Naga's smirk disappeared. She really _wasn't _in the mood, and this was going to get ugly.

The bandits realized soon enough just how "not that lucky" they were.

Xxxxxxxx

Lucia sighed as she stepped into the street, the packed dirt scuffing under her heel as she turned and headed towards the north gate. She ran a tongue over her teeth, the taste of the sausage and eggs she'd had for breakfast still faint in her mouth even after her morning rinse, though the warm early-morning sun was an inviting contrast to the crisp breeze. Naga had been gone when she woke up, not that she could blame her. The sorceress had revealed a lot the previous night, and Lucia highly suspected that the confident, powerful facade that the woman carried was intended to mask something deeper, though she hadn't realized it was something quite so traumatic. Still, bits and pieces of the woman's true personality had repeatedly shone through the outer shell, and at brief times Naga had even been willing to drop the act completely in private. Lucia was not a stranger to people using false fronts to escape past pains, though she herself had been forced to adjust her entire outlook on life thanks to her 'anger issues'. It had been a positive change, though, and it had allowed her to appreciate life a lot more.

_She's pretty tough. Wherever she goes, I'm sure she can handle herself._ Lucia thought to herself. She had to admit that she'd miss the company, and she only wondered to herself if Naga would miss the company as well. She had made it clear that she'd enjoyed having a friend on at least some level, but wondered just how deep that feeling went.

As Lucia passed through the north gate, she noticed a pair of footprints in the dusty surface of the packed road. Given the low traffic in this region, and the fact that the town rarely saw any travelers, she had a pretty good idea of who they belonged to. A slight smile came to the swordswoman's face as she looked down the road.

"You're not getting away from me _that_ easily, White Serpent." The girl mused thoughtfully as she started down the road.

Xxxxxxxx

Half an hour later, Naga had continued her journey northward, the scent of smoke in the air further supporting her suspicion that there was a town in that direction. She grinned as she looked at the leather pouch she'd collected off of the bandits that had been foolish enough not to heed her warning. _Thanks for paying for lunch, boys._ The sorceress thought to herself with a smirk. As the smell of cooked food started to drift down with the smoke, the sorceress' pace increased.

"Bigger than I'd thought." Naga said aloud as she walked through the main gates of Willowgate only twenty minutes later. The town stretched as far as she could see, at least a mile or two in length and probably almost as wide. Unlike Lonebury, the town of Willowgate was quite large, with well-maintained cobblestone roads and closely-situated brick buildings. Like most towns of this size, the road through the center constituted main street, with the center of town dedicated to merchant stalls and shops. Of course, where there were shops, there were restaurants, and at the moment, the buzz of people going about their daily lives and children playing were mere background to the more insistant thought that echoed through Naga's mind.

_Food!_

Naga shoved the door to the first restaurant she got to open and stepped inside, placing her hands on her hips as she surveyed the room. Only a few patrons occupied the place given that it was the slow period between breakfast and lunch, not quite being noon yet. Naga cracked her knuckles and looked for the nearest waitress.

"I recommend the daily special, myself. Top quality." A very familiar voice said from the sorceress' right. She gulped audibly and turned to see a woman in black leather armor sitting at a nearby table, her feet kicked up on its surface as she leaned back, lowering the menu she'd been using to hide her face. She was doing her best to hide the fact that she was more than a little angry with the sorceress for leaving without even so much as a 'goodbye'. No, Naga deserved to squirm a little, and Lucia was pretty sure she'd earned the right to act a little smug.

"L-Lucia!?" Naga stammered, completely shocked to see the swordswoman. Lucia had a casual smile on her face, but instead of the usual cheerful smile she wore, this one had a slightly more 'cat-that-caught-the-canary' look to it. It reminded her of herself. "B-but how? How did-"

"Shortcut." Lucia replied, then held up a piece of curled parchment. "I have a map, remember?"

Naga blushed sheepishly. "Look, Lucia. I-" Naga began, though the blonde cut her off.

"It's okay. I understand why you left. It wasn't unexpected, you know." Lucia replied. That was somewhat of a lie, though Lucia already figured out that the sorceress was very uncomfortable around people when she wasn't intimidating them. As she spoke, Naga walked over and sat down across from Lucia.

"Let me speak first." Lucia began. "I know you're out of your element here. I know you've spent a good portion of your life pushing people away. That much is clear by how you act around strangers."

Naga simply watched Lucia as the girl spoke. She couldn't deny what Lucia was saying so far, so the blonde continued. "I'm sorry about last night. If we're moving too fast, that's as much my fault as it is yours." The swordswoman said. "But I don't want to lose your friendship. That's very important to me."

The sorceress felt herself blush, and after glancing around to make sure nobody else could overhear them, she leaned slightly closer to Lucia and spoke. "I'm sorry I left. I'm not good at this. I'm not good at…expressing my emotions. I've been suppressing them for so long." Naga explained. Every word felt forced, yet at the same time she felt a great weight lifting off of her shoulders at the chance to say things she'd only dreamed of until now.

Lucia reached out and took Naga's hand, squeezing it gently. "I'll be here for you, then. I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with. If you want to leave, just say so. You don't need to sneak out." She said, smiling.

Naga nodded and smiled back for once. A true smile rather than a smirk. "Deal." She said, then waved down a passing waitress. "Now, what do you say we get ourselves something to eat?"


	10. Peaceful Interludes

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay. Updates are going to slow a bit. I'm working on revising my writing style, trying to improve the detail found in the descriptions, but this is going to slow the writing process down a bit. As it is, I feel as if I'm rushing through some things. Don't worry, though. I'm pretty sure I can still manage at least one chapter per week! In the meantime, enjoy this less action-packed chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Peaceful Interludes**

The sun was still high in the sky as two female figures made their way down the dusty trail north. This morning was particularly warm and unlike previous mornings did not carry the crisp bite of a chilly mountain breeze that was usually so common in this region. A nearby waterfall, one of several in this particular area, gave the air a fresh, clean scent that blended well with the smell of newly blooming flowers.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Lucia asked her tall, dark-haired companion. She slowed to a stop and cocked her head to the side as she strained to confirm what she'd heard. Her companion stopped as well, curiously cocking her head and pushing a thick lock of hair behind her ear. It took a moment, but she also heard it. The faint sound of water cascading into a deep basin.

"It sounds like a waterfall. Why?" Naga replied curiously.

"Where there's a waterfall, there's a pool. Where there's a pool, there's a place to take a bath." The blonde replied after a moment, flashing a bright smile at her friend. The taller woman looked down at the blonde skeptically.

"Lucia, we left an inn less than two hours ago. They would have provided us with a hot bath and soap." The sorceress mentioned, giving Lucia a withering look, though she did agree that it had been some time since the two of them had found an opportunity to relax and clean up. She could feel the grime of traveling on dusty roads and sleeping on the ground starting to catch up to her, and she was sure that Lucia, who preferred more modest, full-body armor probably felt the same.

"You're complaining about cold versus hot while wearing _that_ in early spring time?" Lucia teased, pointing out the sorceress' trademark leather bikini-type outfit that she almost never went without.

"Ohhhhh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" Naga rattled off with another of her trademarks, an over-confident, highly-developed laugh that caused most people to cringe in terror. "Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in the name of fashion, Lucia. It simply wouldn't do for a woman such as myself to wear mere rags, now would it?" Naga stated rhetorically.

"Well, consider this a sacrifice in the name of hygiene, then!" The swordswoman replied, giggling as she turned off the path and headed in the direction of the waterfall. Naga folded her arms across her ample bosom and watched the girl head into the treeline. She considered waiting for her, or perhaps going on ahead and letting her companion catch up, but then followed after her with a sigh.

It didn't take them long to reach the waterfall. The roar of the water was not particularly loud, but its deep, base sound could be heard for nearly half a mile. As Lucia had suspected, beneath the waterfall was a wide pool of water where the current was negligible as it fed into a small river which, according to the map Lucia had tucked away in her cloak, then fed into a larger river further south. The two women made their way to the side of the pool and systematically began removing their traveling clothes.

Lucia laid her cloak down neatly in the grass, first slipping her leather bracers off and tossing them onto it, followed by her gauntlets. She then detached the pauldrons she wore on her shoulders and set them aside as well. Kneeling, Lucia removed the shinguards on her boots, then pulled her feet out of the boots themselves. Nearby, Naga watched the smaller woman curiously. She hadn't traveled with a warrior before for any length of time, and on the few occasions she had she'd always noticed how one could tell the difference between a respectable fighter and a mere thug. Lucia took care of her armor, often spending hours rubbing oil into the mix of soft and hard leather and small strips of chainmail that made up her suit. As a result, the blonde often carried a very faint scent of freshly oiled leather. She recalled the way the girl's hair had smelled a few nights ago when she had been comforting the sorceress following a horrible nightmare, and the memory caused her to blush. She suddenly realized that Lucia was looking over at her and that she'd been caught staring and immediately pulled her gaze away, doing her best to act nonchalant as she went about removing her own outfit.

Lucia glanced around briefly, wondering how secluded this spot was. It was about ten minutes off of the road, which itself was only rarely traveled. She figured the odds of encountering someone out here was probably pretty remote, and what did she care if some pervert decided to hide in the bushes and ogle her? If she caught one, she'd be sure to leave them humiliated enough to reconsider ever doing it again. Once her short survey was over, she slipped out of the soft undertunic and trousers she wore under the armor, feeling a shiver flow through her as the cool air drifted across her naked form. Lucia clasped her hands together and stretched her arms over her head, letting out a contented sigh before moving over to the water and dipping a toe in experimentally.

"Huh? Hey, Naga! This water is warm!" Lucia exclaimed excitedly. She'd expected chilly mountain water, but the water was lukewarm and far more inviting than she'd anticipated it would be. She looked over at Naga and felt her heart leap into her throat. The sorceress was already naked as she walked over to join the swordswoman at the water's edge. Lucia couldn't come up with any words to describe the vision before her. Several adjectives flew through her mind, though. Heavenly. Breathtaking. Mouthwatering. That last one made her blush quite profusely. Naga was fully aware of the effect her body was having on her blonde companion and did her best to act casually.

"You'd better not be lying just so you can push me in or something." Naga said as she leaned down to test the water, finding much to her own surprise that the water was indeed warm. "Well, it's no bath water, but it'll do." The sorceress said, pretending to be less impressed than she really was. It was likely that the pool's heat was due to underground hot springs feeding heated water into it. Naga lowered herself into the water, followed quickly by Lucia who was doing her best to hide the redness in her face.

"S-sorry…" Lucia murmured softly as she realized that the sorceress had caught her staring.

"For what? I can't blame you for admiring perfection." The sorceress smugly replied, running her fingers through her hair as she settled down into the water, both women having situated themselves on a natural rock shelf just under the surface of the water. Lucia continued to watch the woman for a moment, tilting her head to the side as her curiosity started to overcome her sheepishness.

"Do you do it on purpose?" Lucia asked softly as she let herself soak in the refreshing water, feeling it lift the grime off of her skin.

"Do what on purpose?" Naga replied.

"Flaunt your body? I mean, do you mean to draw attention to yourself with it or is that just a side-effect of wearing what you're comfortable with?" The swordswoman asked. She knew the question sounded more than a little confrontational, but the truth was she was simply curious. Still, she hoped Naga would take it as some sort of jealous preamble.

"Well, I figure if you've got it, flaunt it. You'd be amazed how many free drinks and discounts I've received." Naga responded as she dipped her head back far enough to wet her hair, allowing it to slick back over her scalp. Lucia took another look at the sorceress' body through the blurring surface of the water.

"It must be nice to have that luxury." Lucia replied after a moment. She was never the type to feel any sort of self-pity, and she'd always been proud of her body regardless of her short stature. Naga let loose one of her trademark laughs, keeping it mercifully short despite the fact that she was with one of the few people in the world that didn't mind it.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Lucia." The sorceress said. "You definitely have what it takes to turn more than a few heads. Like I said before, quantity does not _always_ equal quality." Naga stated, leaning back against the rock and closing her eyes as the noonday sun filtered through the canopy of trees above them. The sorceress grinned and leaned closer to Lucia, speaking in a conspiring tone. "I'd never tell her this, but even Lina had more redeeming qualities than the rumors gave her credit for."

Lucia blinked a few times, having heard very different things about the infamous flat-chested Bandit Killer. "Really? The rumors that float around about the infamous 'Dragon Spooker' are hardly flattering." The swordswoman pointed out as she lazily worked up a small whirlpool with her fingers in the surface of the water.

"Lina's not as bad as the rumors say." Naga said. "Lina did have small breasts, but she had a petite figure and a very pretty face." The sorceress said, barely believing the was paying a compliment to the woman that had acted as her biggest and foremost rival for years. "Of course, you'd _never_ hear me say it to her face. She'd never let me hear the end of it."

"Really? Huh." Was Lucia's only reply. The rumors, which she had always taken with a grain of salt given the nature of rumors and folk stories, had caused her to envision an unattractive, nagging, hot-tempered girl that looked more like an ugly boy than a real woman.

"Lucia?" Naga said, the thoughtful tone in her voice drawing the blonde's attention. It was clear that the conversation was about to turn more serious.

"Uh-huh?" Lucia casually replied, rubbing her fingers in her wet hair to try and dislodge as much of the road dirt as she could. She was lucky that she had naturally healthy hair, and couldn't count the number of times she'd had to wash blood and dirt out of it.

"What's it like? When you lose control and go into a frenzy?" The sorceress asked softly, hoping that she wasn't touching on a topic too sensitive for the woman. She saw Lucia tense up for a moment and was about to withdraw her question, but Lucia beat her to the punch.

"It's like...everything turns red." The swordswoman replied at first. "All the muscles in my body feel like they're buzzing, and I feel this huge surge of strength and energy, but it's all jumbled. I can't concentrate on anything, and all I want to do is…is kill whoever it was that got me angry."

"Kill? Every time?" Naga replied, wondering if Lucia ever just got mad enough to smack someone around without killing them. Solemnly, the swordswoman nodded her head.

"When I get so mad that it pushes me over the edge, that's all I can think about. Killing. I used to get angry over stupid stuff. I once beat a man to death because he threw some trash at a beggar." Lucia replied, idly rubbing her arm with her fingertips. Naga was starting to look a little green at the thought of how much blood such an act would create. "I was able to convince the local guards that I'd been defending the man, but they still locked me up for three days."

"Have you…ever tried to learn to control it? I mean, to harness it?" Naga asked thoughtfully. While she personally was against using any sort of bladed weapons on her enemies, she had the tactical capacity to recognize that Lucia's ability could be extremely powerful if properly honed.

"Several times. The problem is, I _have_ to lose control in order to gain the….the 'benefits' of going berserk." Lucia said. She hated referring the effects of her rage as being 'beneficial' to anyone, but it had saved her life more than once. "Once I regain control of my emotions, it fades. I can't willingly turn it on or off anymore than you can force yourself to suddenly be happy about something that makes you sad." The blonde woman explained. "Plus, it leaves me totally drained of energy afterwards."

"Well, I guess it's good that you've learned how to suppress it, then." Naga replied, leaning back once more against the warm rocks. She figured the two of them would relax for a few more minutes in the water before resuming their journey. She hadn't gotten much time to relax lately, and she deserved a little R&R. She reminded herself to plan out a nice long vacation once this little quest of theirs was completed.

"My turn." Lucia said suddenly, pulling the sorceress from her thoughts. She sat up and looked over at the swordswoman with a confused expression.

"Your turn for what?" She asked.

"Questions!" Lucia replied cheerfully, then dropped the beaming smile to a more friendly one. "Have you ever tried to get over your fear of blood?" The woman asked, and it was Naga's turn to tense up in response to a sensitive subject.

"I don't know if I ever could. Every time I see blood, it…I don't even do it consciously, I just get light-headed and everything goes black." The sorceress replied, looking down at the water. "Normally, my own blood doesn't cause any problems, but at Bennet's manor, there was just so much, and it was all over my hands just like before. It was everywhere, and it was dripping...It was just like...just like then, and I couldn't..." Naga continued, her voice starting to quiver. Lucia saw that her eyes were starting to lose focus and that she was starting to grow frantic from the memory, so she moved closer and put a hand on Naga's shoulder.

"Naga!" Lucia exclaimed softly. She managed to pull the sorceress out of the spiral she'd put herself in, and Naga blinked a few times before reaching up and squeezing Lucia's hand gently.

"Sorry. Ugh...I'm okay." Naga said, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"The reason I ask is because if we're going to be traveling together, I have to warn you that using a sword, especially one as sharp as mine, tends to result in a lot of blood." Lucia explained, watching the uncertain expression on Naga's face. Lucia sighed, realizing the same thing Naga was, that the two of them were going to run into some difficulties down the road. Naga brought her gaze up and locked it with Lucia's.

"You're right. I do need to work on it." Naga replied. "But how?"

Lucia looked thoughtful for a moment, then her eyes widened as she got an idea. "I know! How about I teach you to use that sword you're always carrying around?" The swordswoman said, referring to the long sword Naga was known to carry yet never use. She had never asked her about it before, but knowing now how the sorceress felt about blood, she doubted it ever even spent time outside its scabbard. Naga looked a little uneasy about the prospect of having to use a sword in battle.

"I guess we could. My sword isn't magic or anything, though. Won't your sword cut it in half?" The sorceress replied, raising a brow at Lucia. The swordswoman couldn't figure out if Naga was trying to come up with excuses or if she seriously thought that they were going to practice with real swords instead of training wasters.

"Well, we use wooden swords to practice with, that way we only end up with bruises instead of lethal injuries." The swordswoman replied, noting a hint of disappointment in Naga's expression that indicated she had indeed been trying to distract Lucia from the matter at hand. "We don't have to start anytime soon, it's just something we should really look in to. Come to think of it, how do you normally handle that time of the month?"

"To be honest with you?" Naga replied, hesitating for a moment before shrugging casually. "I usually stay secluded in a tavern for a few days until it blows over." She finally replied, not bothering to include the fact that 'stay secluded in a tavern' included 'in a drunken stupor'. She knew Lucia didn't like her constant drinking, but she had her reasons for the regular alcohol abuse she subjected herself to.

"Well, we could look into something other than a sword, I suppose. Perhaps a staff or something." The swordswoman replied. "Of course, even those tend to draw blood. Broken noses, dislodged teeth, that sort of thing." She added. Naga sighed. Clearly the whole conversation had made her realize that in some logical ways Lucia was right, but faced with the prospect of having to choose what sort of weapon she wanted to carry was inconvenient and frustrating.

"Maybe I'll just throw rocks." The sorceress muttered in frustration. "What's a rock going to do anyway?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt herself wanting to pull them back. She recalled Lucia's story about the first time she'd lost control and gone into a frenzy and looked over at her blonde companion. Lucia's jaw was tight and she had a far away look in her eyes as she gazed down at the water, looking as if she were staring through the Earth itself. Naga was about to apologize to her when Lucia's eyes suddenly lit up.

"That's it!" Lucia said excitedly. "Naga, you're a genius!"

"I know." Was Naga's quick reply, but then she cocked her head to the side. "What am I a genius about?"

"A bow and arrows." Lucia replied, smiling widely. "When you mentioned throwing rocks, I realized something. If you're far enough away from your targets, you won't really have to see the blood up close! That gives you plenty of time to get used to it without having to practically bathe in it!"

"But I don't know how to shoot a bow, Lucia." Naga replied disdainfully. She'd been trained in the use of a sword as a child as was common for virtually all children of noble birth, both male and female. Such training included political campaigning and battle tactics. She had also been training to become a shrine maiden of Saillune, but her education as a shrine maiden had often taken a back seat to that required as a member of the royal family.

"I've seen you cast freeze arrow, and I've cast flare arrow before as well as used a bow!" Lucia said excitedly. "It's almost the same, you just have to account for gravity, that's all!" The swordswoman appeared quite excited at the prospect of training the sorceress in archery, and even if Naga was still somewhat unsure of the idea, Lucia's enthusiasm definitely made it seem like a more feasible possibility.

"I guess we could try." Naga replied slowly, turning to gaze at the mist being kicked up by the waterfall's flow. They mutually allowed the conversation to end there, letting the water relax them for several more minutes before Lucia glanced up at the sky and uttered a reluctant sigh.

"I suppose we'd better get moving. We don't want it to be dark when we get to the ruins, after all." Lucia stated, recalling that undead preferred the darkness of night and most couldn't even linger in the sunlight without melting into ichor or bursting into flames. Even those that could survive the sunlight tended to be much weaker in such circumstances.

"I suppose you're right." Naga replied, pushing herself out of the water and once more treating Lucia to the captivating view of her voluptuous form. The swordswoman swallowed and forced herself to look away. It was bad enough that she couldn't get the vision of the sorceress approaching her earlier at the start of their little bath, but she couldn't afford to allow herself to suffer any more distractions when they were so close to entering a potentially deadly situation. The swordswoman quickly hopped out of the water herself and made her way to her things. Fortunately, a towel was considered a common survival item and, in fact, some strange individuals even believed that it was the most important piece of equipment an adventurer could possibly possess. Before long, both companions were dry and clothed with several hours of daylight still ahead of them.

"According to the map, we should only be another thirty minutes away." Lucia said once the duo was back on the road. The blonde held up the map, her eyes moving across its wrinkled surface to read the faded inking. The man that had sold her the map told her that it had been tucked away on one of his back shelves for several decades, and that he wouldn't have even recalled its existance had Lucia not explicitly been asking for something rare and 'possibly dangerous' to hunt down.

Of course, neither woman had any idea what awaited them at the end of that hunt, and both of them would soon find their trust in each other put to the test before it was all over.


	11. Into the Depths

**Author's Notes: **This chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones. It has more content to it, and it's a slow transition to a writing style where I describe things more thoroughly. Chapter 12 should be up by the end of the week, but I have family coming down, so it could be delayed.

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Into the Depths**

The sun was beginning to sink in the sky, signaling the end of the noon but still leaving several hours of daylight in its wake. The swordswoman Lucia Moore and her traveling companion Naga the White Serpent stood in front of what appeared to be little more than a pile of decaying stone blocks. Some of the blocks had retained their more-or-less rectangular shape while others had crumbled into shapes only vaguely recognizable as man-made, while others still resembled little more than piles of dust. The grass and weeds growing over the area were a reminder of just how long it had been since any structure had stood in this location.

"This is the place according to the map. The man said the castle had a very large dungeon." Lucia said as she took one final glance at the map, ensuring that they'd come to the right place before she tucked it away. The man she'd gotten the information from hadn't been specific, but then again she hadn't really paid him for the information anyway, just the map.

"What if they're completely collapsed, Lucia?" Naga replied hesitantly. She for one hoped they hadn't traveled all this way for nothing, even if the journey itself had, in a sense, done both of them some psychological good. Hell, if this turned out to be a wild goose chase, she would immediately suggest that vacation she'd thought about earlier. Yes, and they would definitely have to visit a hot spring!

"We won't know until we look for an entrance." Lucia replied, stepping into the ruins. She had to be careful with each step, often placing a hand on what remained of a wall or support beam to steady herself. Naga watched for a moment before moving in herself, also taking care with her footing. She was considerably less enthusiastic about this than her companion was, but that came mostly from a feeling that they wouldn't find anything of value inside of the dungeon below. If they even found the dungeon, that is.

After thirty minutes of searching, both women were covered in dust and sweat, completely negating the invigorating effects of their earlier visit to the waterfall and leaving them no closer to finding any way into the dungeons that supposedly lie beneath the ruins. In frustration, Lucia drew her sword and slammed the tip down into the ground beside her, using it as a leaning post as she mulled over this latest turn of events.

"Damn. I'm starting to think you were right. Maybe it is buried." The swordswoman said as she leaned on the hilt of her sword chewing lightly on her lip. Naga sat down on one of the several fallen stones and gave a shrug.

"I was really hoping to come across some kind of treasure trove, too." The sorceress replied with a sigh. Lucia pushed off of her sword to stand up, then looked at it curiously. She'd felt it shift when she pushed on it, which was unusual given that the tip was buried in stone. She realized that there was no way the sword itself had shifted since the particular cobblestone she'd buried it in was in no way cracked. Experimentally, she pushed the sword back and forth, only stopping when she heard a deep rumble under her feet.

She had just enough time to look up at Naga and say. "Oops." Right as she spoke, the ground collapsed from under her feet, dropping her into the hole. Naga instantly jumped to her feet, a pang of relief hitting her as she heard the swordswoman's voice call out "Levitation!" from deeper within the hole.

"Lucia! Are you okay?" The sorceress called down into the hole. Sunlight shone through the opening, but she was unable to see anything at first. A moment later, a small pinpoint of light appeared deep within the hole.

"I think I found the dungeon!" Came Lucia's shouted reply. "It looks safe. Come on down!" Naga shook her head in disbelief at her companion's casual tone. With a smirk, the sorceress hopped into the hole, casting a levitation spell to slow her descent to the bottom. As she drifted downward, she realized that the hole was extremely deep, at least a few hundred feet. As she got closer to the light source below, she saw a small globe of light hovering above Lucia's head, realizing that the swordswoman had cast a lighting spell to illuminate the darkened ruins. As she drifted gracefully to the floor, Naga cast her own lighting spell. The combined lighting from both spells revealed them to be standing in a large chamber, the outer walls barely visible beyond the perimeter of their spells. Lucia stepped closer to the center of the room.

"What are you doing, Lucia?" Naga asked as Lucia extinguished her spell and turned to smile brightly at her companion.

"I created a variation of the lighting spell for just such an occasion. You don't explore dusty crypts and ruins as often as I do without coming up with some creative ways of finding your way around." The blonde said, closing her eyes and lifting both hands above her head. Naga watched with interest as the girl began chanting.

"_Light which burns beyond crimson flame, infuse this place with your power..._" Lucia began. Naga recognized the words as the beginning of the incantation for the standard lighting spell, one so simple that anyone could learn it with enough practice. She also knew that by modifying a spell's incantation, one could alter its effects, but doing so without extreme care could cause a spell to have very undesirable, and occasionally deadly, effects. "_…reveal onto us the secrets of the shadows before us. Continual Lighting!"_ Lucia spoke loudly, finishing the incantation.

The effect was gradual, but fast, as the large chamber very quickly became illuminated. The light seemed to come from everywhere at once, filling the room with a gentle but insistent white glow that lasted for several seconds before it faded slightly. Looking down, Naga saw shadows cast by herself and her blonde companion onto the dusty, cracked stone of the floor under them, yet when she looked around she could see no glaring source of light. The room was quite large with a rounded dome-shaped ceiling that would otherwise appear smooth and flawless were it not for the large hole the swordswoman had mistakenly punched in it, allowing sunlight to stream through into the dusty air. The outer edges of the room were decorated by stone seats arranged in a staircase pattern, split on each end of the large room by two doors on the ground floor and a series of them near the upper ends of the room at the tops of the seating sections. The room itself was only supported by a few columns around the far edges, signifying that this particular room had been used as a sort of stadium or auditorium. Naga surmised that it was likely the latter given the hard stone floor, as arenas and stadiums generally possessed dirt floors.

"So where is the light coming from?" Naga asked curiously, still noting that while there were shadows, she couldn't see any discernable source of light as with a typical light spell.

"It's coming from the center of the room. I discovered that it's possible to mask the actual point of light created by a lighting spell if you actually phase the spell's energy slightly." Lucia explained as she looked around the large chamber.

"Phased?" Naga asked somewhat incredulously. "You mean you put the spell's light point in the astral plane?"

"Only partially." Lucia said, holding a finger up. "That also causes the spell to pull energy from the astral plane, which is why the spell is able to light up such a large area." She explained. "It's not permanent, but should last for a few hours before it fades out. I use this spell a lot when I'm exploring big areas like this."

Naga couldn't help but smile. Spell creation ran in her family, and she in particular was fond of creating variations of golem spells, but she had never considered modifying such a simple spell as Lighting when the original version had always worked fine for her. Even thought it was a simple spell, she couldn't help but feel impressed at the practicality of Lucia's variation. She followed after Lucia as the swordswoman moved to a stone relief on one of the columns, casually examining its surface. "So, what other spell variations have you created?" The sorceress asked with intense curiosity.

"Well, not many, honestly." She answered, turning to face Naga. "There's a levitation variant that I use to move heavy objects around. It doesn't actually levitate them, but it does make them feel a lot lighter." She explained. "I also created a spell that allows me to encase my fists in rock. That one's useful when I don't have a weapon handy." Naga nodded slowly. Lucia had explained more than once that she preferred viewing magic as a utility rather than a necessity.

"So, where should we…" Naga started, then trailed off as she heard a shuffling sound come down one of the two tunnels that entered the main room. Lucia had clearly heard it too, as she had pulled her attention from the reliefs she was inspecting and drawn her sword, looking into the tunnel. The light from Lucia's spell didn't spread into the tunnel, so it wasn't until the source of the sound shuffled its way into the main room that the two women got a good look at it. Its appearance instantly made its nature clear to the both of them. A humanoid figure standing about six feet tall entered the room. It walked slowly, but with a somewhat clumsy gait, tattered clothing hanging from its decaying form, skin grey and leathery, rotted through in some places to display decayed muscle or bone. Its eye sockets were empty, and its lips had rotted away to reveal tight flesh clinging to what few teeth it still possessed. As it sensed the two women, seeing them with a supernatural sense that took the place of its long missing eyes, it echoed a roar and began rapidly moving towards them. Even as it shouted its hoarse alarm, several more such figures of varying height and build exited the tunnel behind it.

"Zombies." Lucia muttered, bringing her sword up into a ready stance. She was surprised to hear the metallic sound of a sword being drawn beside her and glanced over to see Naga holding her own sword out in front of her, tossing the sorceress a questioning glance.

Naga cleared her throat. "We chose the wrong time of the month to start exploring ruins." The sorceress said somewhat sheepishly. Lucia frowned in response.

"You chose _now_ of all times to tell me that?" The swordswoman said, the words coming from her in a slight growl. Naga just shrugged.

"Well, I didn't really realize it until I cast that levitation spell earlier and realized that it took almost every ounce of my abilities to maintain it." The sorceress said defensively. "Don't worry, I don't need my full power to handle a bunch of zombies. Besides, they don't bleed."

Lucia just offered a nod as the first wave of undead closed in. As they approached, Lucia suddenly pitched forward, swinging her enchanted sword in a wide arc, slicing the two nearest zombies in half in a single stroke. She allowed the momentum of her swing to carry her sword in a circular arc, bringing it up over her shoulder and then down again in a diagonal slash, cleaving through a third zombie. Fortunately, the magic that held zombies in its thrall required that their bodies more or less remain in tact, thus decapitating or eviscerating a zombie had the same effect as it did on a human.

Naga managed to fare well herself. As she'd noted to Lucia earlier, she had received some basic swordsmanship training as a teenager, and it had been more than enough for her to deal with zombies, creatures that possessed only a fraction of the coordination and speed of their human counterparts. Within a few stokes, Naga had cleaved the heads from two zombies and had quite literally 'disarmed' a third, giving it a firm kick in the chest to send it sprawling helplessly across the floor. The two were still surrounded by a dozen or so of the undead creatures, but as the two women moved back to back, they realized that their tactically inept opponents would have a hard time breaking through their defenses.

"Assha Dist!" Lucia shouted, waving a hand at a few of the creatures as waves of bright light struck them, causing a small group to crumble into dust. She brought her sword up just in time to deflect a rotted wooden club being wielded by another zombie, and with a few more strokes the zombie dropped to the ground, armless, headless, and once more lifeless. Between the two of them, every zombie that stepped within range was quickly cut down, and within a few minutes the ground was covered with motionless corpses that should have long since remained motionless.

"Yuck." Naga said simply, wiping some greenish grey substance off of her gloves. "This is why I don't use my sword. Disgusting. Do you know how much these gloves cost?" She muttered. Both of them took a look around the room. At least fifteen zombies had attacked them, though it was somewhat hard to count for sure, as Lucia's spell had disintegrated some of them, and it was hard to tell how many half zombies there were in the mess. A whirling sound, once more from the same tunnel, caught their attention.

"I wonder what's next." Lucia said, glancing at Naga and noticing she'd brought her sword up to the ready once more. She let the appearance of the sorceress holding her sword distract her for a moment, and briefly found herself regretting the fact that Naga didn't use her sword more often. The woman made for a very attractive warrior, given her height and physique. She turned her gaze back towards the tunnel just in time to see several figures emerge from its shadows. Again, their opponents varied in height from taller than Naga to almost as short as Lucia, and once again their appearance instantly gave away their natures.

"Skeletons now?!" Naga said incredulously. "Well, at least they don't leak slimy grey crap all over my clothes." She muttered to herself. The figures approached them with more intelligence than their previous comrades, and in fact were splitting into two groups, each one circling around the opposite side of the room. Lucia suddenly felt a tug at the pit of her stomach as she came to a realization.

"They're trying to flank us." She stated firmly. Undead creatures existed in different tiers, each of which possessed a certain level of intelligence. Zombies and skeletons were at the lowest rung of the ladder, and often lacked the intelligence to perform tasks beyond simple commands such as 'kill', 'guard' or 'stay here'. Above those were wraiths, ghosts, and other spirits. These beings normally possessed enough intelligence to manipulate objects and possessed emotions as well, but were usually twisted by the torment of undeath that they were almost always evil and demented. Vampires, liches, and greater mummies sat at the top of the ladder. They were not only powerful in undeath, but also cunning and intelligent, and often used the benefits of their eternal unlives to gain power and manipulate mortals. The fact that these mere skeletons were using complex tactics could only mean one thing.

"Something's controlling them." Naga said after a moment, confirming that she had suspected the same thing as Lucia. Their skeletal opponents carried a variety of weapons, and some of them were dressed in tattered clothes, some wore rusting bits and pieces of armor, and others wore nothing at all. The only thing that they all shared in common was their apparent desire to kill Naga and Lucia.

Lucia acted first, twisting to one side and lashing out horizontally at the first skeleton to get within range. It tried to parry her attack, but the rusted sword it carried didn't stand a chance of stopping the swordswoman's enchanted blade, and her blow shattered the sword and continued on through the skeleton, knocking it to pieces. She followed up the attack by changing her tactics, charging into the ranks of skeletons. They reacted differently than the zombies, and instead of standing and allowing themselves to be slaughtered, they spread away from the charging swordswoman, though she managed to bring down a pair that had moved in and attempted to flank her. She looked across the room at Naga and turned course, not wanting to move too far away from the sorceress given that this wasn't her preferred method of fighting.

Naga, meanwhile, was having a slightly harder time of things. She found herself losing ground as two skeletons alternated taking swipes at her, and she was forced to rely on every ounce of training she'd received from her father in order to parry them. She uttered a gasp of pain as one of them managed to get through her guard, the blow glancing off of her parry and cutting a light gash on her unprotected thigh. The sorceress gritted her teeth, refusing to look down to where she knew blood dripped from the wound, feeling it run down her leg as she focused on her opponents. She finally managed to spot a hole in one skeleton's defenses and, with a snap of her arm and wrist, cleaved the creature's head from its brittle neck. Left with but one more opponent at the moment, she was able to regain her edge and quickly began to overpower her skeletal enemy. The skeleton's skills were carried over from life, but it became clear that these had not been highly trained soldiers or knights, and before long Naga disarmed the skeleton and brought a horizontal slash against its exposed spine, snapping it in two.

"Fireball!" Lucia cried suddenly, an explosion rocking a group of several skeletons, sending charred bone fragments flying everywhere. Naga's gaze turned towards Lucia just as she cut down another skeleton. The swordswoman was panting slightly, and the bones of destroyed skeletons around her showed that whatever intelligence drove the skeletons had decided that she was the bigger threat, thus pushing most of their forces towards her. Naga realized that the fireball had been an act of desperation as the spell had taken a lot out of the swordswoman, who generally relied on her sword more than magic. The last of the skeletons dispatched, Lucia returned to Naga's side, and the sorceress could see from the redness of the blonde's face that she'd been pretty close to the fireball when it had gone off.

"Something isn't right about this, Lucia." Naga said, grimacing as the wound on her thigh stung and burned. Lucia spotted it as well and knelt down, setting her sword aside as she brought her hands up and started casting a light healing spell.

"I know." Lucia replied, letting the magical energy flow into the wound to mend it as much as possible. "Did you notice how they attacked us in waves? We're being toyed with." She added, feeling anger well up inside of her and willfully suppressing it. Times like this made it hard to be cheerful.

"By who? Or…what?" Naga said, finally looking down as Lucia finished the spell. The wound was still there, but where there had once been a deep gash there was now only a thin pink line. Naga wasn't too worried about a scar, since those could always be removed later with the proper application of white magic.

"I'm willing to bet that if we live long enough, we'll find out." Lucia replied, standing up. Her breath was coming in short pants as she pushed her sword back into its sheath for the time being. Naga looked at her with concern.

"Are you alright? You don't look very good." Naga asked.

"I'll be okay. I just need to recover for a moment." She replied. That fireball had taken a lot out of her. She generally kept to lower level spells due to the drain it put on her, and she'd poured more power into that fireball due to the desperation of the moment.

"I think we're stuck going through the ruins, Lucia." Naga remarked, looking up at the hole in the ceiling. "Unless you're good enough with levitation to pull both of us through that hole, because I can barely manage to slow fall with it right now." Lucia sighed in response to Naga's words.

"I can only barely manage to slow fall with it at full strength. Levitation's not a spell I practice very often." The swordswoman replied, herself looking up at the hole for a moment as well before turning towards the tunnel their undead opponents had come through. "I'll take the lead." She said as she headed into the shadows of the tunnel, once more calling forth a lighting spell to hover over her head as she walked. Naga moved in behind her.

The tunnel went on in a straight line for several dozen feet before turning 90 degrees to the right and continuing on. The hallway was about ten feet wide and at least twice as tall and the walls were made of solid, carved stone, indicating that the tunnel itself was carved directly from the bedrock rather than being constructed. Decades of disuse had done little to undermine the strength of the passageway, however, and the stone walls, while slightly cracked, still appeared thick and sturdy. The floor was made up of stone tiles that were mostly even, though time and the expansion of rock under the dungeon had caused some of them to shift slightly, making every few tiles appear slightly higher or lower than the ones next to them.

It was because of this that Lucia didn't notice one particular raised tile until it clicked under her boot. Normally, she would have been more careful, but her concern for their unseen enemy and having to worry about how she would protect Naga if they faced a powerful enemy had taken her off guard, so she was completely unprepared for the blast of stinging green mist that caught her in the eyes. The swordswoman immediately dropped to the floor as Naga gasped in shock.

"Lucia!" Naga cried, kneeling down beside the swordswoman. Lucia was on her hands and knees and whimpering in pain.

"It burns! I can't open my eyes!" Lucia said fearfully. She cursed herself for being so stupid and careless, knowing that old ruins like these were often host to a number of traps, having narrowly escaped death from some of them herself on countless occasions. The burning sensation was beginning to fade, though it was being replaced by a numb feeling beneath her eyelids.

Naga reached out and dabbed some of the green fluid on her finger, then brought it to her nose and sniffed it. The acrid smell made her cringe, but then she touched her finger to the tip of her tongue, spitting a moment afterwards. "Cyralis extract." She said in a serious tone.

"What…is cyralis extract?" Lucia said, gasping a bit as the pain from her eyes began to lessen, though she still couldn't open them. Despite never having heard the name, the fact that it had been in a trap and that Naga had heard of it worried her.

"It's a type of poison. It's a common ingredient in blinding powder, but I've never heard of it being concentrated and used in a trap." Naga recalled solemnly. Lucia wiped her eyes a few more times, then opened them, only to find that her vision had been reduced to a very thick, streaked blur. She couldn't even make out her hand in front of her face beyond a dark colored blob.

"Naga…" Lucia said, her voice quivering. She couldn't hear the almost audible gulp of Naga swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I know, Lucia.", she said softly. "The blindness won't be permanent if we can get you to a healer within a day or two." The sorceress explained. She was being optimistic, however, as she'd only heard of cures for people that had taken a hit from so-called 'blinding powder', which was a power base usually made of ground flour or fine sand dust that had been saturated in cyralis extract. The dose Lucia had taken was easily five or six times that strong.

"You…you'll need to guide me, then. I can't see anything." Lucia replied, forcing herself to calm down. The thought of losing her eyesight permanently, of no longer being able to travel, or explore, tore through her. She'd heard that there was once a wise sage, the famous Rezo, that had been blind, but he had enormous magical power that served to enhance his senses in place of eyes, while she had…nothing.

"Take my hand." Naga said, though it was more a gesture than anything else as she reached out and grabbed Lucia's wrist, helping the swordswoman to her feet. Lucia stood up and sighed. The entire hallway was nothing more than a jumble of thick, morphing blobs moving in front of her. There was no depth, no contrast between them. She could make out very vague shapes and nothing more.

"Keep an eye out for more traps." Lucia said softly. She felt the sorceress nod beside her as the two started to walk forward. Despite her optimism, Lucia had begun to mull over in her head what life would be like for her if she was unable to get to a healer in time. Lucia loved to admire the world around her in all of its intricate beauty, and the thought of never seeing a sunset, or a beautiful forest canopy, or the crisp blue of a summer sky was like a horrible chill down her spine. She immediately shut down that line of thought, though, not wanting to depress herself, and instead focused on moving down the tunnel, Naga now in front and resembling nothing more than a dark blob as her cape fluttered with her movements. Lucia then realized she also wouldn't be able to see Naga's beautiful face anymore, and immediately wondered why she'd mentally worded it like that. Naga suddenly stopped, almost causing Lucia to bump into her.

"What is it, Naga?" Lucia asked curiously. She felt Naga tense up, and then anticipation started to well up in her gut.

"We've got company, Lucia."


	12. Dancing with Corpses

**Chapter 12 – Dancing with Corpses  
**

"We've got company, Lucia." Naga said, the words sending a chill down the blonde swordswoman's back as she heard a faint, scuffling sound. Her disabled eyes couldn't make anything out in the blurred shadows of the dank tunnel, but it sounded like more of what they'd already faced.

"What is it, Naga?" Lucia replied, holding her sword before her and gripping its hilt nervously. She thought back to her training under her former martial instructor. He had taught her how to fight while blindfolded, explaining that there were times when a true warrior had to ignore what their eyes told them and trust their instincts. A subtle shuffle of feet, a sharp intake of breath, or even a sudden change in the air. All were signs of potential attack, and a true warrior learned how to filter these subtle signals out and make sense of their surroundings. Lucia could still remember the multitude of bruises such lessons had left her with at the end of the day, but she had taken to them well, and she still fondly recalled the day she had defeated her instructor while the two of them battled blindfolded in her old training hall. Still, she'd never imagined she'd actually need these skills.

"More zombies." Naga replied, and Lucia heard the rasp of steel as the sorceress drew her sword. She could hear the shuffling footsteps moving closer, and as the creatures moved into the light she could just vaguely make out their forms. Despite her severely hindered eyesight, the swordswoman found herself blessing the fact that she could at least make out varying levels of light. As the zombies moved in, she was the first to attack. Lunging forward, she brought her sword upwards in a powerful arc, one of her favorite attacks that resembled a golf swing. The attack cleaved clear through the front zombie, cutting him in half from groin to shoulder. She pulled sideways and down after that, the zombie right behind the first decapitated by a powerful backstroke. Beside her, Lucia heard a wet 'crunch' as Naga hacked through a third zombie, dropping it to the stone floor. Lucia remained at the ready.

"Is that it?" She asked. She couldn't hear anything else, but without her eyesight, she couldn't be certain. Naga moved closer and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"That's all for now. Come on." Naga said dully. The sorceress inwardly cursed at her inability to use magic to fight with. This felt…wrong, somehow. She had never felt this vulnerable. Even though Lucia was a lot better without magic than she was, the swordswoman's state seriously hindered her. With Lina, she'd been lucky that their own cycles had been staggered, so neither of them were without their powers at the same time. For the first time in quite a while, the sorceress began to seriously doubt her chances of survival. "We're going to die down here." She said sullenly.

"Don't be ridiculous." Lucia replied, and she actually giggled! Here they were, a blind swordswoman and a magic-less sorceress, and she was still being optimistic! Naga couldn't believe it. "We'll make it out of here, and then we'll find a healer and get my eyesight back, and then we're going to relax somewhere for a while."

"How can you be so optimistic, Lucia? How can you honestly be so sure that everything will turn out right in our situation?" Naga replied, her voice on the edge of panic. Lucia shrugged a little bit as the two kept walking.

"What's the point of worrying about it? What good would come from anticipating our own deaths?" She replied. "We _will_ make it out of here! We _will_ survive, and if we find the jerk that's controlling all of these undead, we _will_ kill him!"

Naga blinked a few times, then sighed. "One of these days, you'll have to teach me how you manage to be so cheerful and full of denial when you're stone sober." Lucia just smirked as they continued onward. The tunnel ran on for another hundred yards or so, thankfully without any further encounters with the previously deceased. The tunnel eventually opened up into a larger chamber. The walls were lined with cells, each one blocked off by rusted steel bars. The room ran on for about one hundred feet before turning in both directions, and it was clearly apparent that they'd reached the cell blocks.

"The room is bigger here." Lucia said, noting that the shadows had seemed to recede somewhat and the sound of their footsteps sounded less confined. The walls were lined with cells, each one blocked off by rusted steel bars. The room ran on for about one hundred feet before turning in both directions, and it was clearly apparent that they'd reached the cell blocks.

"Cells. I guess this is the dungeon." Naga said, looking around curiously. "Probably haven't seen any prisoners in a really long time, though." The sorceress added. There were still stray piles of straw tossed about the floor, mixed in with the old remains of broken bowls and other bits of crushed feasting ware. A strong dank smell permeated the air, giving off a strong stench of mold mixed in with the unmistakable odor of rotting flesh that commonly followed zombies.

"I just hope there's another way out in this direction." Lucia said softly as the two women moved through the cell block. Both of them kept an active lookout for any more undead adversaries, and the swordswoman focused intently on the only other useful sense she had in this situation, her hearing. Fortunately, neither of the companions heard any intrusions as they made their way through the cell block, and before long they were once more traversing a long stone corridor, though this one was lined on the sides by arched doors. Naga leaned over and opened one slowly, peering inside with her light spell over her hand.

"Bedrooms?" The sorceress said quizzically. "Why would there be bedrooms in the basement? And why so many?" Naga continued to check one door after another, each one revealing the same scene. The bedrooms were all sparsely furnished, each one containing a dresser, armoire, and a bed, and in each case the condition of said furniture sat in more or less the same state of disrepair, the beds covered in rotting, faded linens of varying colors, the wooden furnishings dried and cracked, all victim to the ravages of time.

"It seems like an unusual place to keep guests." Lucia stated, even her near-total blindness not quenching the natural curiosity that burned within her, often the driving force behind her desire to explore old, lost ruins. Despite the possibility of gaining treasure or earning fame and riches, this was the true reason she loved exploration. She loved finding hidden things and digging up long-forgotten secrets.

"Maybe we'll come back later and do some more exploring, but right now we really need to find a way out of this place." Naga replied, her voice on edge. It was obvious to the swordswoman that the sorceress felt very vulnerable without her magic at full strength. Fortune smiled on the women once again as they made their way through the unusual underground living quarters without incident, and once again the passage opened up, this time to a large spiraling staircase. Both women felt their spirits lift somewhat. At least they were finally traveling in the right direction: Up.

"This is making me dizzy." Lucia commented as the two women ventured up the spiraling staircase. After several minutes of traversing the stairs, the two finally came to a door at the top of the staircase. The staircase came to an abrupt end in a small room about ten square feet with a seven foot ceiling. Unlike the other rooms, this room's walls and ceiling were made of mortared stone rather than being carved from rock.

"I think we're above ground level now." Naga said. "The walls aren't solid stone anymore."

"That means we're almost out of here!" Lucia replied optimistically, feeling along the walls to confirm Naga's statement before she fell in line behind the sorceress. Naga carefully opened the door, peering down the hallway it revealed before slowly stepping into it. The air in the passageway felt drier and fresher than that in the lower tunnels, and both women were able to pick up a faint musty smell, like what you'd expect to encounter in an old library. Despite being closer to the surface, the claustrophobic sensation caused by the close walls of the passage was oppressive. As the two adventurers moved further down the passageway, the room suddenly opened into a large stone room. Pillars supported the high ceiling, each connected to the next with a series of decorative arches. The room's outer walls were lined with packed, towering bookshelves a dozen feet high, and several large wooden reading tables dotted the vast floor. In several places, the tables seemed to be built directly into the stonework of the palace, connecting one pillar to another.

"At least we found the library." Naga commented sarcastically. "This place doesn't make any sense! A single spiral staircase leading to a library? An underground arena?" The sorceress said angrily. "I cannot imagine any _real_ member of royalty wasting their time in a place like this. I certainly wouldn't! ? And why would you have bedrooms underground?"

"Because it's the best place to go when one wishes to avoid sunlight." A voice replied from across the library. Both women turned quickly to face the voice, though Lucia found herself squinting helplessly as she tried to make out the source. Across the room, a sharply-dressed man hovered leisurely as if standing on an invisible platform. His clothing resembled formal wear, all black save for a well-kept bow-tie and the inner lining of a black ankle-length cape, both of which were dyed blood red. The man's pale blond hair was slicked back smoothly over his scalp, and his crimson eyes were in stark contrast to the pallor of his near-white skin. He wore a confident smirk that exposed a pair of unusually long canine teeth.

"A vampire?" Naga said, then unleashed one of her usual laughs, sounding quite amused. "And here I was afraid we were going to face a _real_ challenge!" The sorceress boasted, placing her hands on her hips. Lucia blinked a few more times, able to faintly make out the hovering vampire from across the room, though to her he appeared as little more than a faded shadow.

"You wound me, my dear woman." The vampire replied, placing a hand to his chest in mock despair. "Such clear disregard, and in my own home as well."

"I, Naga the White Serpent, have dealt with your kind before, my dear vampire." Naga replied with more than a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Ah, you're referring to Steindorf!" The vampire replied, laughing darkly. "Yes, I've heard of his encounter with yourself and the infamous Bandit Killer, Lina Inverse." He said. "Steindorf is an idiot. I can assure you he does not represent a fraction of the power of a _true_ vampire."

Lucia swallowed and glanced at Naga. _What the hell is she doing?_ She thought to herself. _Did she forget that she can't use most of her powers?_ Lucia hoped that wasn't the case, but at the same time she had no experience with vampires beyond the stories and legends she'd heard, so perhaps Naga had a better idea of what she was doing than she thought.

"Well, I certainly hope not." Naga said in response to the vampire's statement. "If he did, I doubt your kind would still be alive." The sorceress said with a smirk. "Perhaps you could tell us your name, since you already know mine."

"My name is Keldrin." The vampire said, lowering himself to the floor. "Though it makes little difference. Neither of you will survive to utter it to another soul." He said, then suddenly rushed forward towards Naga. Lucia sensed the movement and rushed in, but at the last second the vampire seemed to vanish. Naga twisted out of the way just as the vampire's claws tore through her cape, narrowly avoiding his attack. Lucia spun quickly, snapping her sword from its scabbard.

"Damn." Naga muttered, stepping back away from Keldrin as Lucia moved up beside her. Without her powers, she knew she had little chance of damaging a vampire. Such supernatural creatures were immune to damage from normal weapons such as her sword, and with Lucia's blindness, the two of them were in quite a bind.

"Impressive!" Keldrin said, once more hovering above the floor twenty yards away from the two women. "I'm surprised you were able to dodge my attack. I wonder how long your luck will last." He said, laughing as he suddenly dashed forward again. Naga once more dodged to the side as his form seemed to flicker, but as he did, Lucia lunged forward, swinging her sword in a flat arc. The blade whistled through the air a split second after the vampire's form vanished, then the swordswoman yelped in pain as she felt a sharp, stinging pain shoot through her side. She stumbled forward from the impact and spun around, once more facing Keldrin's blurred image as blood leaked from the claw marks in her side.

"Lucia!" Naga cried, looking at the swordswoman and seeing that the vampire's claws had torn clear through the leather padding of her armor, rending a shallow but painful series of cuts in the side of her abdomen. The sorceress turned to face Keldrin now, lifting a hand and pointing it at him. "Elmekia Lance!" She cried. There was a brief flicker of energy in her palm, but then the spell fizzled out.

"Hah! That's it?" Keldrin chortled, sniffing at the air as his grin widened. "Hmm. I smell blood from both of you, yet only one is wounded." He said, his eyes narrowing for a brief moment before he let out a loud, taunting laugh. Naga's cheeks burned as she caught on to his meaning. "You're even more foolish than I thought if you'd have the nerve to invade my domain in your condition! A blind swordswoman and a menstruating sorceress! This won't even be a challenge!"

Keldrin rushed forward again. He would toy with these two for a while, he decided. They didn't deserve to see his full power. No, he would toy with them, slowly whittling them down before ending their pathetic lives and drinking their blood. He once more targeted Naga, feinting to draw her off balance before he quickly delivered a low, sweeping attack that caught the sorceress' legs and flipped her effortlessly into the air, dropping her flat on her back. Before either of them could react, he turned and went for Lucia, striking her with a closed fist in the midsection, his supernatural strength lending enough power to the blow to send her flying into a nearby bookshelf, scattering books and splintering the aged wood as the woman fell to her hands and knees on the floor, her sword clattering across the stone. Frantically, Naga drew her sword from its scabbard as she scrambled to her feet and rushed at the vampire, bringing the blade down with both hands in a high arc. Her attack grazed Keldrin's shoulder, but the non-magical blade left a wound that almost instantly sealed itself. The vampire laughed and kicked backwards, the blow catching the sorceress in the stomach and pitching her back onto the floor once again. A growl from Lucia's direction drew his attention once more.

"Stop it." The swordswoman spat, gritting her teeth. She stood up, her blind eyes searing with anger despite their lack of vision. She circled Keldrin slowly, moving closer to Naga as the sorceress got to her feet, limping slightly. Lucia reached out and took Naga's sword from her, holding it in front of herself as she spoke in a low, grating voice. "Astral Vine."

"Still got some fight left in you? Good, I haven't been this entertained in decades!" The vampire said as the blade of Naga's sword began to glow with a dull red aura. Keldrin continued to wear an amused expression. He knew the spell Lucia had cast on the sword, and knew that the blade could now harm him, but also knew that the swordswoman was blind, and all the enchantment meant was that he would have to pay just a little more attention to her. He rushed at both of them, bounding from one spot to another as he once more called upon his shadow magic to create a flickering illusion that would make his movements difficult to track. Both of his opponents were injured and he knew this fight would last only as long as he wanted it to. With a taunting laugh, he lunged in, dodging back as Lucia skillfully lashed out, forcing him to abort his attack and circle back around. This served as little more than a distraction, however, as his return trip provided him with an opening as he delivered a powerful swipe to Lucia's shoulder, tearing through her leather armor and once more drawing blood. The swordswoman cried out and swung her sword wildly, narrowly missing the retreating vampire.

"Ungh! Stand still and fight!" Lucia said with a growl. She faced two opponents; The vampire that was slowly tearing her apart, and her own rage that threatened to consume her. She knew that if she lost control of her anger, she would be completely unable to plan a strategy, and that without the ability to see, she would quite literally fall into a blind rage. Keldrin merely laughed, slipping around behind the swordswoman and delivering a powerful punch to her kidney area before grabbing her arm and hurling her against a nearby pillar. She grunted from the impact and fell to the floor motionless.

"Hah! I knew this was going to be a waste of my time!" Keldrin shouted, laughing as he approached the downed swordswoman. "You couldn't even give me a decent challenge!" He said, standing over Lucia's motionless form. He knelt down, grabbing a handful of blonde hair in a tight grip.

Suddenly, the prone swordswoman's hand snapped up, thrusting with the glowing red blade of Naga's sword. As her hand flew forward, she felt it stop abruptly as a tight grasp enveloped her wrist, squeezing firmly. Keldrin held the blade aside, the thrust having narrowly missed impaling his chest. The swordswoman let out a yelp of pain as he tightened his grip.

As he prepared to crush Lucia's wrist, the vampire glared down at her. "Foolish woman! Did you really expect me to fall for such a predictable ploy?" Keldrin shouted.

"What about _this_ one?" Naga's voice echoed from behind the vampire. He turned his head in time to see the sorceress bringing a sword around in a wide, flat arc. Quickly, he snapped his arm up to block the attack, expecting the mundane weapon to stop short when it impacted the unnaturally durable bones in his forearm. What he didn't expect was for the sorceress to be wielding Lucia's sword.

As the blade met his arm, it cleaved clean through the flesh, continuing onward to shear a deep gash in the vampire's chest before continuing down into the stone floor of the library. Keldrin's expression changed from one of minor distraction to one of complete shock. He let forth a gurgling gasp as blackened blood poured from his severed stump of an arm and the deep wound on his chest. Seizing the chance, Lucia yanked her arm from the vampire's weakened grasp and quickly leapt to her feet. Keldrin watched as Naga's eyes widened, taking in the grizzly scene before they rolled back in her head and she collapsed.

"Im…possible!" The vampire choked out. How could this happen? How was he unable to detect the magic in Lucia's sword? How could a blind swordswoman and a powerless sorceress defeat him? _Him! _A greater vampire lord! He uttered a growl of anger. No, he would kill one of them! The sorceress had fainted, but he would kill the swordswoman! He would destroy her with his last vestages of strength! He turned towards Lucia, hate burning in his eyes. He had just enough time to register that she'd regained her feet before he saw her deliver a viscious backhanded stroke with the still-enchanted sorceress' sword.

A stroke that quite neatly removed his head from his shoulders.

xxxxxxxx

"Naga, are you okay?" Lucia's voice said. It sounded far away, but it was getting closer. Naga's eyes opened slowly, treated to the view of a large, domed ceiling accented by arched pillars. She sat up quickly as the memory of their battle with Keldrin came rushing back to her. The library looked different now, fully lit in what almost looked like daylight. The library looked different in the light. She hadn't noticed before just how much dust and cobwebs had collected on the bookshelves. It took her a moment to realize that Lucia must have used her Continual Lighting spell to illuminate the room. Lucia was kneeling next to her, a worried look on her face that softened as she realized the sorceress was alright.

"Did we get him?" Naga asked, afraid to look over at where Keldrin had been kneeling for fear of the gory sight that would greet her. She risked a glance, and was shocked to see nothing but a pile of dust where the vampire's corpse had been.

"_You_ got him!" Lucia said cheerfully, her smile back in full force. "That couldn't have gone better if we'd planned it that way! You're incredible!" The swordswoman said, giggling. Naga stood up and put her hands on her hips, laughing.

"Ohhhhhh ho-ho-ho-ho! I warned him what would happen if he tangled with Naga the Serpent!" The sorceress boasted as Lucia stood up. "Never underestimate the power of Naga!" She said, then looked down at Lucia. "And her sidekick, Lucia Moore!" She added. Lucia smiled widely as she sheathed her sword. Naga's smile quickly faded as she remembered the urgency of the situation. "Come on, Lucia. We need to find a way out of here so we can get you to a healer."

Lucia nodded. "Lead the way." She said happily. Even though her eyesight was continuing to deteriorate, the swordswoman felt satisfied that their first real adventure together had been a success. Even if they hadn't found any artifacts, they had defeated a powerful evil even with significant handicaps. It would make for a very entertaining story down the road. Her wounds stung and ached, but they were relatively minor and would heal on their own even if they couldn't find a healer.

Two hours later, both women, bruised and battered but alive, emerged from the dank recesses of the vampire's castle and into the cool night air. Following the death of Keldrin, the undead under his command lost any semblance of purpose and simply began to wander aimlessly. Several times, they had found themselves rounding a corner or opening a door and running headlong into a crowd of zombies or a group of skeletons only to have the creatures completely ignore them, meandering aimlessly about the castle's interior. Refreshed by the fresh springtime air and the crisp scent of blooming flowers, the sorceress and her swordswoman companion made their way hastily down the road towards Willowgate. Despite their brightened moods, both women were harboring the same worried thoughts. The same desperate hope.

The hope that the healer in Willowgate could do something for the ailing swordswoman.

* * *

**Endnotes: **This chapter was a bit more gruesome than the others. I felt it would fit in well with the tension of the battle with Keldrin the vampire lord. Of course, it was also fun to bring up Steindorf and his incompetence. The story only has two chapters left including the epilogue, but fear not! There will be another book to the Slayers Ultimate series! In fact, I have at least two more whole books planned in this series, so keep an eye out!


	13. A Time to Heal

**Author's Note: **Finally, an update! Sorry, I managed to catch the flu during the interim. Anyway, this is the final chapter, though I may or may not throw in an epilogue. Fear not, because if you liked this story, a Book 2 of Slayers Ultimate will be coming sometime soon, I just need a slight break from writing for now.

* * *

**Chapter 13 – A Time to Heal**

"Six…seven…eight…nine. How come there are only nine?" Lucia Moore muttered softly to herself. The swordswoman felt as if she had counted the support beams in the ceiling over her bed a thousand times already, and having an odd number made the room feel unbalanced somehow. She hated being confined to a bed even if it _had_ only been for one day of treatment plus another day of observation. When she and Naga had limped their way into Willowgate, they had immediately engaged in a frantic search for a healer that could treat Lucia's blindness. The two were eventually lead to the doorstep of a wild-eyed old man with frazzled gray hair that possessed energy that belied his age. The man had introduced himself as Gestalf, and while he was quite skilled as far as healers went, he had an aversion to magic and had insisted on treating Lucia's numerous wounds as well as her blindness using herbs, salves, and bandages. With Naga's powers still weakened, they had little choice.

She had been very irritated at first as the old man dabbed a dark amber-colored salve that smelled like sweet, rotten fruit into her eyes. It had stung badly, and her discomfort had only been amplified by the fact that she had to forcefully keep her eyes open for several minutes to keep the compound in contact with her eyes. The cure, however, as miserable as it had made her through repeated applications, had worked like a charm. Her eyesight was still a bit fuzzy, but Gestalf has assured her that it would be good as new in the next day or two.

"Well, it's about time you woke up!" Naga said from the doorway, pulling Lucia out of her boredom-induced counting exercise. She sat up on the side of the bed, wincing slightly at the throb of pain from the wound in her side. She was dressed only in her tunic and plain pants, the former of which still carried a series of bloodstained slashes from the vampire's claws that had torn into her side. She smiled weakly at the sorceress as she approached the bed.

"Been awake for hours now. I'm going stir crazy here!" Lucia complained, swinging her feet on the side of the bed. The sorceress pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Lucia, and the swordswoman saw a slightly pained expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Hangover." Naga replied. "The price I pay for a good night's sleep." The sorceress said with a slight hint of sheepishness.

"My eyes are almost good as new, but things are still a little fuzzy." Lucia said as she held her hand up and peered at it, flexing and curling her fingers and watching the light dance off of the hazy, faint fog-like film over her vision. "I was afraid it might never come back after you talked about me getting a concentrated dose."

"Well, from what the old man said, you were lucky it was the concentrated liquid." Naga explained. "He said that because it was a liquid, your tears were able to wash it out more completely, so even though it was a more concentrated amount of poison, less of it got into your eyes." Naga said. She, too, had been very worried for the swordswoman, something she seldom felt for anyone including herself. In fact, the only person she'd ever worried about since leaving home had been her younger sister, but after word got out that she had started traveling with Lina Inverse, Naga knew deep down that she would be safer for it.

"So, when will you be able to heal these wounds?" Lucia said, and her tone made it clear that she was less than happy about the solution Gestalf had chosen for her. The old healer might have had a problem with magical healing, but she sure didn't.

"Probably tomorrow." Naga replied, putting her hand to her temple for a moment in an attempt to stave off the throbbing pain. One thing she hated about this time of the month was that she couldn't use her magic to subdue the painful results of a night spent in a drunken stupor. Lucia gave a short nod to the sorceress' statement, then tilted her head and gave the woman a curious look.

"So, where do you want to go once we're out of this place? Maybe we can go thrash some bandits and steal their loot!" The swordswoman said excitedly. She preferred exploring long-forgotten ruins or deep caverns, but she knew that the sorceress enjoyed a good bandit thrashing from time to time, and relieving such unsavory individuals of their ill-gotten gains always made both of them feel a little better. Naga, however, had other plans.

"Oh, no! I know exactly where we're going!" She said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "We're going to the Kuro Valley Hot Springs!" The sorceress said excitedly. "After all the bumps and bruises we've been forced to put up with, it's only fair that we spend time in a high quality hot spring to recuperate."

"Kuro Valley?" Lucia asked curiously, having never heard of the place herself.

"Why of course!" Naga said, pulling a strange looking book out of one of the folds in her cape. The sorceress flipped through several pages before plopping back down in the chair and clearing her throat. "The Kuro Valley hot springs are rated at five stars. The springs themselves are part of an exclusive resort that caters only to the most wealthy citizens from far and wide, and even members of royalty are commonly known to spend vacation retreats there." Naga said gleefully. "Oh! It also says that the Kuro Valley resort is famous for its exotic dishes that are famed for large portions as well as exceptional quality!" Lucia smiled brightly. It touched her to see the sorceress so openly excited about getting to do something. It was honest, genuine giddiness that was an unusual but quite welcome change to the woman's usual demeanor. Naga put the guide away and looked up at Lucia with a wide grin on her face. "Well?"

"The Kuro Valley Hot Springs Resort it is, then!" Lucia replied, giggling. "I've never been to a hot spring before."

"What?!" Naga said, her tone so incredulous that Lucia might have well claimed to have never seen the sky or eaten bread. "Oh, Lucia, you have not _lived_ until you've felt the rejuvenating, relaxing sensation of a high quality hot spring. The warm water, the slightly metallic yet spicy scent of the natural minerals…you'll never experience anything quite like it." The sorceress said, getting a somewhat far-away look in her eyes. Lucia suppressed the urge to laugh at how utterly enchanted Naga seemed with the prospect, and she now knew for sure she'd be going to Kuro Valley the second they left Gestalf's house.

"Naga." Lucia started, her tone suddenly softer. The sorceress snapped back to reality and met the shorter woman's gaze. "Thank you. For saving me, for helping me out of that place." The swordswoman said softly.

"Well of course I helped you!" Naga replied, trying to keep herself from blushing at the sheer sincerity and genuine, emotional gratitude that was evident in her companion's voice. "After all, you _are_ my sidekick! It's only fitting that I protect you from danger, isn't it?" The sorceress' reply made her companion smile brightly.

"That's right!" Lucia said gleefully. "And…right now, your _sidekick_ wants breakfast!" The swordswoman exclaimed.

"But isn't it the sidekick's duty to serve the beautiful and powerful heroine?" Naga asked with a pout. Lucia tilted her head thoughtfully.

"I guess so, but I'm bedridden, remember?" The swordswoman replied slyly.

"Oh, you are _not_ bedridden, Lucia, and you know it!" Naga replied, picking a pillow up off the bed and hitting the swordswoman with it. Lucia giggled and threw it right back at the sorceress. This continued on for several moments, dissolving into what eventually became a short-lived, one-pillow pillow fight.

"Fine, fine!" Lucia cried between fits of giggling. "Fine, we'll _both_ go get breakfast, then!" The swordswoman relented, tossing the pillow aside. Her gaze lingered on the smiling visage of her sorceress companion for a moment as she watched the smile turn to a more serious expression. Naga cleared her throat.

"Lucia, there's something I want to tell you, and I want you to let me finish, because I'm sure I won't have the courage to say it again if I stop." Naga said suddenly, her tone dripping with seriousness. Lucia offered a short nod in response. "Other than my family, whom I haven't seen in a very long time, I've never really _cared_ about anyone before. I've kept people at a distance, I've avoided talking about my past, and I've done my best not to grow attached to anyone." The sorceress said at length. Lucia could see her wringing her hands together out of the edge of her vision, and she could tell that the woman was not used to sharing her feelings like this. She elected to remain quiet as requested so Naga could continue.

"You're the first person I've ever revealed my past to, Lucia. The first person I've ever felt comfortable opening up to, and I don't know why. I've only known you for a few weeks. I just want to make sure you're not going to vanish one night like Lina did. No warnings, no notice." The sorceress asked, and even to her it felt as if the words were coming from someone else. She _never_ spoke to other people this way, and she knew she was starting to ramble. Heartfelt words such as these usually only occurred during internal dialogue. She thought things like this, about friends, about caring for others, but she never spoke of them to other people. She started to worry that she might have gone too far, that she might have completely misinterpreted things between herself and the swordswoman until Lucia smiled, filling her with a sense of relief.

"I'm not going to run off on you, Naga." Lucia replied softly, reaching out and taking the sorceress' gloved hand in her own. "I'm glad I met you. I think if I had to start traveling by myself again I'd go out of my mind with loneliness." The swordswoman said with a little giggle. Naga smiled back at the woman, and the two were content to simply share a silent moment before Lucia's stomach decided to rudely interrupt their reverie by growling rather insistently.

"It sounds like your appetite is getting impatient." Naga said much to Lucia's sheepishness. The swordswoman hopped out of bed eagerly.

"Well, then! Let's get some breakfast! There _must _be an inn nearby." Lucia said as she started collecting her equipment. Naga laughed in anticipation and quickly headed for the door.

"I'll save you a seat, but make it fast. I'm starving too!" The sorceress said as she rounded the corner. Lucia hastily bounced around the room as she tugged one boot on. She knew Naga would probably start eating whether she was there or not, and if she finished her own food first she'd like start in on Lucia's. As she finished with her boots and fastened her cloak, she grabbed the pack she'd stowed her armor in, deciding she'd wait until after breakfast to put it on. As she finished getting dressed and trotted out of the room carrying her armor and sword over her shoulder, Lucia Moore, treasure hunter extraordinaire, realized that whatever adventures were waiting for her around the next corner, she wouldn't be facing them alone. From now on, those that stood in her way would no longer face just a perky girl with an enchanted sword. From now on, they would face Naga the White Serpent, and her sidekick, Lucia the swordswoman. She wouldn't be the face, she wouldn't be the one whose name was whispered in fear or spoken of in awe, and she wouldn't be the one getting the fame or the fortune, but one realization brought a smile to the young adventurer's face.

She wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
